Everything You Need To Know About EPF i-Sinar Facility

By Annmira Joseph

If you have lost your job or experienced a loss in income due to the COVID-19 pandemic, you might want to consider applying for the EPF i-Sinar programme to support your finances. Here’s a quick guide to help you better understand the i-Sinar facility.

Many Malaysians have experienced job losses, salary cuts and forced unpaid leave since the implementation of the first Movement Control Order (MCO) last year. If you’re one of those who were affected and are in need of extra cash to pay off the debts and bills, the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) i-Sinar programme can help you with that.

What is the EPF i-Sinar facility?

EPF i-Sinar or i-Sinar KWSP was announced as a part of the government scheme to support Malaysians who were financially hit by the pandemic, allowing eligible members to withdraw a set amount of funds from their respective accounts.

The EPF has allocated RM70 billion for the initiative, which is expected to benefit eight million members who can withdraw a maximum of RM10,000 or RM60,000, depending on their Account 1 balance. The i-Sinar facility is an extension of the i-Lestari programme which allows a monthly withdrawal of up to RM500 from Account 2, but is scheduled to end this March.

What’s the difference between i-Lestari and i-Sinar?

The i-Lestari is a withdrawal facility that is intended to help members meet their monthly financial needs during the COVID-19 pandemic period. It allows members to withdraw up to RM500 from Account 2 for a maximum 12-month period. This programme runs from April 1, 2020 until March 31, 2021.

i-Sinar, on the other hand, works as an advance facility on your retirement funds. The scheme allows you to withdraw a larger amount of up to RM10,000 (depending on your Account 1 balance), which can benefit those who need large funds upfront. Eligible members will receive an interim payment of up to RM1,000 from the total amount applied on January 26, 2021.

Do you have to replace the i-Sinar withdrawal amount?

Yes, members who choose to apply for i-Sinar are required to channel 100% future EPF contributions into Account 1 until the amount withdrawn is replenished. After that, the contributions will return to the status quo: 70% and 30% to Account 1 and Account 2 respectively.

Who is eligible for i-Sinar?

i-Sinar facility is divided into two categories which are Category 1 and Category 2. Below are the details for each category:

Category 1

Members who have not contributed to the EPF for at least two consecutive months
Housewives
Members who are self-employed and work in the gig economy sector
Members who have lost their jobs
Members who were given unpaid leave
Members who have lost their source of income
Members who are still working but their base salary has been cut by 30% or more since March 2020
No supporting documents required as the approval will be verified based on EPF data
Application began on December 21, 2020
Disbursement started mid-January 2021

Category 2

Members who are still working and have experienced a reduction in overall income of 30% and above, including salary, allowances and overtime pay since March 2020
Supporting documents required:
- Salary slips before and after the income reduction, and
- A notice from employer, which states that allowances/overtime claims have been suspended or reduced
Application begins January 11, 2021
Disbursement starts the following month after approval

How much can you withdraw from EPF i-Sinar?

Account 1 savings ≤ RM100,000

You can withdraw up to RM10,000 while maintaining a balance of RM100 balance in Account 1, The payments will be staggered across six months and you can receive up to RM5,000 for the first payout.

Account 1 savings > RM100,000

If you are in this category, you can withdraw up to 10% of your savings or up to RM60,000 – whichever is lower. The payments will be staggered across six months, and you could receive a maximum of RM10,000 for your first payout.

How to apply for i-Sinar?

How to check your i-Sinar application status online?

You can check your application status via i-Sinar official website on the “Semak Status Permohonan” (Check Application Status) webpage. Just key in your IC number and mobile number, then click “Semak Status” (Check Status).

If your application has not been approved, the following page will show “Permohonan Anda Sedang Diproses” (Your application is still in process).

Understand your financial situation before applying for i-Sinar

The i-Sinar facility can be useful for those who have lost their jobs, suffered from pay cuts and do not have sufficient funds to sustain their financial lives. Keep in mind that EPF is a scheme that provides monetary benefits to salaried employees after retirement. Therefore, the savings are initially meant to be withdrawn when members have reached the age of 55.

You should only utilise the savings for urgent basic needs. Before applying, check your current financial needs and try to look for other alternatives (if there’s any). Having a proper retirement strategy is a crucial step in helping you live a less stressful future in your older days.

If you need some help in making a decision, we suggest you check out this piece we did on the pros and cons of withdrawing your EPF money under the i-Sinar facility.

Mar 4, 2021 0

Covid-19 New Norm: Boredom that eventually leads to Depression

By Annmira Joseph

Virale Illustrationen: Coronavirus in Bildern › PAGE online

“We are living in hard times.” “At least we are not in war, you should be grateful.”

These lines are often said by the people around us who have been getting the benefit off of the pandemic era. Online businesses and shopping outlets are having their highest peak in profit. No doubt we were enjoying the first few weeks ordering almost anything we found online that might help us while we were in lockdown. We began following TikTok trends like making the Dalgona Coffee and making our very own Roti Canai.

Though, was that all enough to keep us busy? Was is all enough to sum up all of our outdoor activity time? I think not.

When the news about the coronavirus disease spread all over the globe, people we were afraid, confused and mostly paranoid. One is because we do not know what the cure of the disease is and it was not like any other flu or fever where we would immediately get the symptoms. It was rather vivid because it takes up to two weeks which is 14 days to be exact until the symptoms of the disease begins to show.

So what are we to do really until we actually begin to feel sick? STAY AT HOME! We wait and obey the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) that has been regulated by the World Health Organization (WHO). This means, we have to wear masks on a regular, maintain a one meter distance from other people including family members but do we really do that with family? I’m not one to judge since I, myself tend to break these regulation habitually.

Universities were no longer allowing student to enter the premises as to maintain the health and safety of those students who are already staying in campus. Some students from Sabah and Sarawak cannot immediately go back to their states as the ticket prices of airplane were rising through the roof. So they stayed back in campus hoping the rise of the Covid-19 cases around the country would eventually decrease. International students even had to stay back and if they do go back to their country there was not any guarantee that could come back immediately. The government of every country decided to close borders and there was no saying on which country was safe and which was not.

kms GIF - kms GIFs | Say more with Tenor

As we were forced to stay at home; yes I would say forced because it was not in our will whether to leave the house or not. There was not much left to do whenever I was home. Having to follow up on my online classes were such a drag. I would say I was not motivated at all to do my assignments or even attend classes. It was not like having to sit in front of the class with your lecturer teaching away and you dress up to feel like it is just another day. It was not close to any of it.

We do not wake up an hour or two earlier to attend classes like we did before in campus. Students did not need to dress up or shower now. They just had to make sure their laptop is by their bed the moment they wake up and had to turn off the camera and mute the microphone to make sure they were just there to attend classes and eventually fail. There was no sense of hope or confidence to even begin the day. We would just wake up ten minutes before classes begin and even that, still in bed wallowed in our own blankets. “BURITO TIME!”

Lecturers were not aware that we were asleep while classes would go on. They are not aware of the late night sleeps that we were not getting. They were not aware of the times we had to log on to our assignment portals to make sure everything was done and sent on time. They were also not aware that we were barely getting any sleep or a social life for that fact. We would stay cooped up in our rooms trying to finish up our work. Then on some days we would get worked up and stressed due to the work load and act rude towards our family.

It one thing staying at home and doing work and it is another when you have stayed home for a long time that almost everything you do feels suffocating. There was no way out since home was the only way in. There was no way for people to visit their friends since they were drowned by fears wherein they might get infected by the disease. So what do they do? STAY AT HOME!

But for how long? As much as we understand the importance of staying at home and making sure no one else gets hurt due to the disease, were also being kept captive in our homes and our minds as prison. There were curfews that was held upon people and as much as I don’t want to sound like a spoilt brat, it was not easy to stay at home at all times. Apart from that, everyone already the disease was not stopping any time soon and there was no cure being discovered.

People were beginning to become impatient and they did not want to follow any orders that was being implemented by the government. Lockdowns were being lifted and everyone decided that they knew more about the disease than anyone else.

As a person who was already having minor depression ever since I was younger, it was getting harder for me. I did not have the energy to get out of bed. Everyday felt like a Monday and I did not know what day or time it was. All I knew was to eat sleep and take a leak. It felt as if there was nothing else left to do and there was nowhere else left to go. It was a vacation I did not ask for and was not a pleasant one.

As a university student, the campus life was something I would really look forward to. My friends would always be there to cheer me up and company was not something that was hard to find there. Everyday felt like a new day and it was something that I would constantly look forward to. But now everything burnt to ashes! I am hoping that the vaccines will be out soon that this nightmare would be over in no time.

Mar 4, 2021 0

Everything You Need To Know About EPF i-Sinar Facility

By Annmira Joseph

What is the EPF i-Sinar facility?

What’s the difference between i-Lestari and i-Sinar?

Do you have to replace the i-Sinar withdrawal amount?

Who is eligible for i-Sinar?

i-Sinar facility is divided into two categories which are Category 1 and Category 2. Below are the details for each category:
Category 1
• Members who have not contributed to the EPF for at least two consecutive months
• Housewives
• Members who are self-employed and work in the gig economy sector
• Members who have lost their jobs
• Members who were given unpaid leave
• Members who have lost their source of income
• Members who are still working but their base salary has been cut by 30% or more since March 2020
• No supporting documents required as the approval will be verified based on EPF data
• Application began on December 21, 2020
• Disbursement started mid-January 2021
Category 2
• Members who are still working and have experienced a reduction in overall income of 30% and above, including salary, allowances and overtime pay since March 2020
• Supporting documents required:
• Salary slips before and after the income reduction, and
• A notice from employer, which states that allowances/overtime claims have been suspended or reduced
• Application begins January 11, 2021
• Disbursement starts the following month after approval

How much can you withdraw from EPF i-Sinar?

The actual amount that you can withdraw under the i-Sinar facility depends on whether you have more or below than RM100,000 savings in your Account 1. You can choose how much to withdraw in the first payout, but the subsequent payments must be at least RM1,000 per month.
a) Account 1 savings ≤ RM100,000
You can withdraw up to RM10,000 while maintaining a balance of RM100 balance in Account 1, The payments will be staggered across six months and you can receive up to RM5,000 for the first payout.

Account 1 savings > RM100,000

How to apply for i-Sinar?

How to check your i-Sinar application status online?

If your application has not been approved, the following page will show “Permohonan Anda Sedang Diproses” (Your application is still in process).

Understand your financial situation before applying for i-Sinar

If you need some help in making a decision, we suggest you check out this piece we did on the pros and cons of withdrawing your EPF money under the i-Sinar facility.

Feb 26, 2021 0

‘Thor’s Well’ Seems to Drain to the Underworld in Incredible Photo (Here’s Why)

^{By Khesigga Sugumaran – 10 January 2021 @ 11:30am}

Where does all the water go that seems to get sucked into Thor's Well along the Oregon coast. — Where does all the water go that seems to get sucked into Thor’s Well along the Oregon coast.
(Image: © Brad DeWald)

In a sumptuous new shot from Oregon, a natural feature called Thor’s Well seems to drain the ocean straight into the underworld.

Posted on Reddit by Dallas resident Brad DeWald, the photograph shows a hole in the coastline that appears to drain and refill with the waves. In reality, the hole is about 20 feet (6 meters) deep, and it is often empty or completely covered by water. Just before and after high tide, though, Thor’s Well puts on a splashy show as frothy waves shoot out of the chasm and then drain back down.

“You can get up really close to take the picture but have to be careful because everything is really wet, and there’s always a chance of a rogue wave,” DeWald told Live Science. [Images: One-of-a-Kind Places on Earth]

Rough coast

Indeed, a 2016 article about the feature in Oregon Live mentions three tourists hit by surprisingly large “sneaker” waves while staring at the well; they weren’t swept away, but people have been lost along the Oregon coast when rogue waves rush onto the beach without warning. In 2016, a café owner in Coos Bay, Oregon, caught one of these terrifying waves on video.

Although the rugged Oregon coastline and rough seas are dangerous, there’s nothing particularly deadly or even mysterious about Thor’s Well itself. The hole is a top entrance to a cave worn into the basalt coastline; the cave’s other entrance, at the bottom of the hole, leads toward the sea. At low tide, the waves slosh back and forth within the cave, visible to visitors peering down into the hole from the edge.

Around high tide, Thor’s Well (named after the Norse god of thunder) fills from the bottom, occasionally shooting up spray as the waves slam against the rocks. Waves wash over the hole, too, seeming to drain down into it. The effect is a seemingly infinite cycle of draining and refilling.

Rocks and water

Thor’s Well isn’t the only thunderous natural feature in the area. The hole sits in the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area in Oregon’s Siuslaw National Forest. The volcanic rocks that make up the coastline create quite a palette upon which waves can play. Near Thor’s Well sits another oceanside rock fracture. Spouting Horn, as it’s called, funnels waves into a narrow rock fracture, spouting ocean water and spray high into the air. Slightly up the coast is a narrow channel called Devil’s Churn, another spot where waves rocket high into the air as they smash against the rugged coastline.

Jan 10, 2021 0

The Mysterious History Of Bermuda Triangle !

^{By Khesigga Sugumaran – 9 January 2021 @ 1:20pm}

The Bermuda Triangle is a mythical section of the Atlantic Ocean roughly bounded by Miami, Bermuda and Puerto Rico where dozens of ships and airplanes have disappeared. Unexplained circumstances surround some of these accidents, including one in which the pilots of a squadron of U.S. Navy bombers became disoriented while flying over the area; the planes were never found. Other boats and planes have seemingly vanished from the area in good weather without even radioing distress messages. But although myriad fanciful theories have been proposed regarding the Bermuda Triangle, none of them prove that mysterious disappearances occur more frequently there than in other well-traveled sections of the ocean. In fact, people navigate the area every day without incident.

Legend of the Bermuda Triangle

The area referred to as the Bermuda Triangle, or Devil’s Triangle, covers about 500,000 square miles of ocean off the southeastern tip of Florida. When Christopher Columbus sailed through the area on his first voyage to the New World, he reported that a great flame of fire (probably a meteor) crashed into the sea one night and that a strange light appeared in the distance a few weeks later. He also wrote about erratic compass readings, perhaps because at that time a sliver of the Bermuda Triangle was one of the few places on Earth where true north and magnetic north lined up.

Did you know? After gaining widespread fame as the first person to sail solo around the globe, Joshua Slocum disappeared on a 1909 voyage from Martha’s Vineyard to South America. Though it’s unclear exactly what happened, many sources later attributed his death to the Bermuda Triangle.

Bermuda Triangle mystery 'solved,' scientists claim - Tech Explorist

William Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest,” which some scholars claim was based on a real-life Bermuda shipwreck, may have enhanced the area’s aura of mystery. Nonetheless, reports of unexplained disappearances did not really capture the public’s attention until the 20th century. An especially infamous tragedy occurred in March 1918 when the USS Cyclops, a 542-foot-long Navy cargo ship with over 300 men and 10,000 tons of manganese ore onboard, sank somewhere between Barbados and the Chesapeake Bay. The Cyclops never sent out an SOS distress call despite being equipped to do so, and an extensive search found no wreckage. “Only God and the sea know what happened to the great ship,” U.S. President Woodrow Wilson later said. In 1941 two of the Cyclops’ sister ships similarly vanished without a trace along nearly the same route.

Bermuda Triangle Theories and Counter-Theories

By the time author Vincent Gaddis coined the phrase “Bermuda Triangle” in a 1964 magazine article, additional mysterious accidents had occurred in the area, including three passenger planes that went down despite having just sent “all’s well” messages. Charles Berlitz, whose grandfather founded the Berlitz language schools, stoked the legend even further in 1974 with a sensational bestseller about the legend. Since then, scores of fellow paranormal writers have blamed the triangle’s supposed lethalness on everything from aliens, Atlantis and sea monsters to time warps and reverse gravity fields, whereas more scientifically minded theorists have pointed to magnetic anomalies, waterspouts or huge eruptions of methane gas from the ocean floor.

In all probability, however, there is no single theory that solves the mystery. As one skeptic put it, trying to find a common cause for every Bermuda Triangle disappearance is no more logical than trying to find a common cause for every automobile accident in Arizona. Moreover, although storms, reefs and the Gulf Stream can cause navigational challenges there, maritime insurance leader Lloyd’s of London does not recognize the Bermuda Triangle as an especially hazardous place. Neither does the U.S. Coast Guard, which says: “In a review of many aircraft and vessel losses in the area over the years, there has been nothing discovered that would indicate that casualties were the result of anything other than physical causes. No extraordinary factors have ever been identified.”

Jan 9, 2021 0

The stunning natural beauty of Jiuzhaigou!

^{By Khesigga Sugumaran – 8 January 2021 @ 2:50pm}

Jiuzhaigou is a stunningly scenic region in the north of the Sichuan Province in China. The name ‘Jiuzhaigou’ literally means ‘Valley of nine villages’, and features nine ancient Tibetan villages where life carries on in much the same way as it always has. Surrounded by snow-capped mountains and featuring hundreds of lakes, waterfalls, trickling rivers and thick forest, the area is breathtaking and perfect for long walks or for trekking. Depending on the time of day and the seasons, the bodies of water in the area frequently change colour, making it a particularly rewarding place for photographers to visit.

A small population of Tibetan and Qiang people live in the Jiuzhaigou area and regard it as sacred land, which, given how beautiful it is, is hardly surprising. Locals still adhere to a very traditional way of life, making it the perfect place to witness authentic Tibetan lifestyle unfold. See herds of yak, traditional prayer wheels and the region’s trademark shrines decorated with colourful paper flags. There’s also a diverse range of wildlife endemic to the region, including the famous giant panda, golden snub-nosed monkeys, white-lipped deer and around 140 native species of birds.

Because of the region’s elevation, the climate can be cold year round, with temperatures ranging from -4 degrees Celsius in the winter months to 16 degrees Celsius in the summertime. Wrap up warm, pack your camera and experience some of China’s most beautiful scenery and wildlife in Jiuzhaigou.

Jan 8, 2021 0

Why Does Your Dog Follows You To The Bathroom Everytime ?

^{By Khesigga Sugumaran – 7 January 2021 @ 11:40pm}

puppy-dog-eyes-2 ~ GoSouth — *Image by:* GoSouth

Ever get the feeling you’re being followed? Then odds are, you’ve got a dog. As for why your canine companion follows you everywhere you go, we got the scoop!

You’re sitting on the sofa, and there’s your dog, right at your feet. You stand up? He stands up. No surprise, considering it could be time for “walkies,” and you know your dog is always up for getting you out the door to exercise. You head into the kitchen? He heads into the kitchen, which is no surprise either considering how much he likes being anywhere near where food tends to appear. Learn the 53 mistakes every dog owner makes.

But then you head to the bathroom, and guess who comes with? Why, your dog, of course. But why? Why does your dog follow you like a shadow, no matter where you go? “When dogs follow their owners, there can be several scientific explanations, depending on the dog and the individual situation,” according to Mary Burch, Ph.D., a certified applied animal behaviorist. These explanations include:

Positive reinforcement: When your dog follows you, good things happen. Think treats, tummy rubs, and traipsing around the neighborhood. Your dog’s no dummy. And one his many talents is learning from experience, aka “reinforcement.” So if your dog keeps getting good things from following you around, he’s going to keep following you around. By the way, you can also use reinforcement theory to try to train your dog not to do things you don’t want him to do. For example, if your dog freaks out during thunderstorms, you might want to consider not reinforcing his freak-out with tummy rubs and extra attention. Here’s why dogs freak out in thunderstorms in the first place.
Natural instinct to be part of a pack: Domesticated dogs are descended from wild canines that live in cooperative family groups, writes Kathryn Primm Dvm, a veterinarian practicing in Tennessee, in her Ask A Vet column. As such, it’s within his DNA for a dog to try to fit into your pack (i.e., with you and your family). In fact, a study out of Princeton University that was published in the journal, Science Advances, demonstrates that your dog’s drive to follow you around (as well as watch you intently and seek physical contact from you) is literally in his genes.
Feel good chemicals: Your presence causes your dog’s brain to release “feel good” chemicals, Dr. Primm explains, citing this study. Considering how much we as humans enjoy those feel-good chemicals, it’s no surprise your dog likes them too—and will follow you around to get some!
Bonding: As dogs have evolved as domesticated animals, they’ve become “bonded” with humans, according to Laurie Santos, PhD, a professor of psychology and director of the Canine Cognition Center at Yale University. In other words, bonding with humans has helped domesticated dogs to survive and reproduce, so this trait has become virtually universal in domesticated dogs.
An obligation to help: Dr. Primm notes that “dogs naturally place value on resources in order to survive,” and one of the most highly-valued resources is territory. As you move about your home, your dog might feel that you are patrolling your territory and feel obligated to assist you.
Curiosity: Dogs are naturally inquisitive, points out Dr. Primm. When you move about, your dog naturally wonders what you’re doing.

Want to create an even stronger bond with your pup? Stop doing these 14 things that every dog hates.

Jan 7, 2021 0

Did The Orange Fruit Or Colour Came First ?

^{By Khesigga Sugumaran – 6 January 2021 @ 11:30pm}

Orange you glad we solved this mystery?

What came first, the orange or…orange? Did someone just make the un-creative decision to name the citrus fruit after its color? (That’s how the blueberry got its name, after all.) Or did the color get its name because of the fruit? In terms of perplexing origin stories, this one is right up there with the chicken vs. the egg. Luckily, though, this one is much more easily solved!

So which came first, the color or the fruit? The answer is…neither. Well, one did come before the other, but neither was actually the first meaning of the word. The linguistic ancestor to today’s word “orange” was actually first used to describe the tree that the fruit grows on. The word’s roots can be traced all the way back to Sanskrit. In that language, the word nāranga meant “orange tree.” Nāranga evolved into the Persian word nārang and the Arabic word nāranj. If you know Spanish, these old words might look very familiar—the modern Spanish word for “orange” is “naranja.” (You won’t believe that this common word is one of the world’s hardest to translate.)

As the word evolved, it eventually came to mean the fruit, not just the orange tree. Old French adapted the Arabic word nāranj as “pomme d’orenge” (“the fruit from the orange tree”) or just “orenge.” Speakers of Middle English adopted the phrase; the Middle English equivalent “pume orange” dates back to the 13th century AD.

The word didn’t come to describe a color until almost 200 years later, making the fruit the clear winner. In 1512, a description of the color using the word “orange” appeared—in a rather strange place. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the use of the word first appeared in…a will. Don’t want to throw out your orange peels? These uses for the fruit rind are surprising.

So, the only mystery that remains is…how did people describe the color before 1512? According to Huffington Post, speakers of Old English used the word geolurēad, meaning “yellow-red.” But thanks to an Old French word, the color orange has a name all its own. And a unique name, at that—”orange” doesn’t rhyme with any other word in English. We bet you didn’t know that these 10 words don’t either.

Jan 6, 2021 0

Why Do Many Believe That Ghosts Are Real ?

^{By Khesigga Sugumaran – 5 January 2021 @ 6:30pm}

Are ghosts real? Scientists claim to have discovered the TRUTH | Science | News | Express.co.uk — Do you believe in ghosts?
(Image: © Annette Shaff | shutterstock)

According to a personal context, most people who believe in ghosts do so is because they grew up in a household where, for instance, the presence of (friendly) spirits was taken for granted, or they had some unnerving experience on a ghost tour or nearby haunt. Many individuals, however, consider that evidence for the presence of spirits can be sought in no less complicated research than modern physics.It is generally believed that Albert Einstein, based on the First Law of Thermodynamics, proposed a theoretical justification for the existence of ghosts : if energy can not be produced or killed but only changes form, what happens to the energy of our body when we die? Could this be manifested somehow as a ghost?

If you understand basic physics, that sounds like a rational guess. The solution is a very simple one, and not mysterious at all. After a human dies, the energy in his or her body goes to where the energy of all life goes after death: into the environment. Energy is emitted in the form of fire, and the body is transmitted to the animals that consume us and the plants that ingest us (i.e., wild animals if we are left unburied, or worms and bacteria if we are buried). Through common ghost-hunting gadgets, there is no bodily “energy” that survives death to be found.

Though amateur ghost hunters want to picture themselves at the cutting edge of ghost studies, they actually engage in what folklorists call ostension or tripping of stories. In essence, it is a type of play in which individuals “act out” a legend, frequently featuring ghosts or supernatural elements. Folklorist Bill Ellis points out in his book “Aliens, Ghosts, and Cults: Legends We Live” (University Press of Mississippi, 2003) that ghost hunters themselves frequently take the quest seriously and “venture out to challenge supernatural beings, confront them in a deliberately dramatised form, and then return to safety.” The stated purpose of such activities is not entertainment but a sincere effort to test and define boundaries of the ‘real’ world.”

If ghosts are real, and are some form of as-yet-unknown energy or entity, then their presence will be identified and confirmed by science by controlled experiments (like many other scientific discoveries), not by weekend ghost hunters with cameras and flashlights wandering around abandoned houses in the dark late at night.

In the end (and amid mountains of ambiguous images, sounds, and videos) the evidence for ghosts is no better today than it was a year ago, a decade ago, or a century ago. There are two potential explanations for ghost hunters’ failure to find good evidence. The first is that ghosts do not exist, and that psychology, misperceptions, errors and hoaxes may justify claims of ghosts. The second choice is that there are ghosts, but that ghost hunters are actually incompetent and need to provide the search with more science.

In the end, ghost searching is not about proof of fact (if it was, the search would have been abandoned long ago). Instead, it’s about having fun with friends, sharing stories, and pretending to be looking at the edge of the unknown. Everybody likes a good horror story, after all.

Jan 5, 2021 0

The I-Sinar Scheme !

^{By Khesigga Sugumaran – 2 January 2021 @ 11:00 pm}

Permohonan i-Sinar KWSP Pengeluaran Simpanan Akaun 1

The Workers Provident Fund (EPF) i-Sinar facility requires qualifying participants to remove funds from retirement accounts as part of a government effort to help the coronavirus-affected economy of the country.

Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz (pictured) reported that EPF had allocated 70 billion ringgits to this project and that an estimated 8 million subscribers had withdrawn up to 10,000 ringgits or 60,000 ringgits from account 1. Tengku Zafrul declared in Dewan Rakyat during the 2021 budget debate last week that the i-Sinar service will be extended to cover all citizens whose income has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Previously, the facility was only available to members who were unemployed, had unpaid leave or had no other means of income. EPF is one of the oldest and biggest retirement funds in the world. It is currently upgrading the i-Sinar withdrawal facility and is scheduled to provide more comprehensive details today. According to its initial guidance, the depositors concerned will apply from mid-December 2020 onwards, with the first payment beginning one month after the acceptance of their submission.

Advance payment of six months from the date of the loan. It mentioned that qualifying members would have the right to use 10% of the deposit in their account 1, but must still have a minimum balance of RM100. For those who have a deposit of RM90,000 and below in Account 1, they can use any amount up to RM9,000. The prepayment amount will be staggered within six months, and the first prepayment amount will be increased to RM4,000.

However, for all those who have a deposit of more than RM90,000 in Account 1, up to 10% of their deposit may be made, but the overall limit is RM60,000. The advance payment will be phased within six months and the first advance payment rise will be up to RM10,000. Depositors who wish to qualify for an i-Sinar facility will be forced to substitute all prepayments in order to ensure that all potential deposits are made. Contributions will be charged to account 1 at 100% before the prepayment has been repaid. After that, donations will be reduced to 70% of account 1 and 30% of account 2. EPF CEO Tunku Alizakri Raja Muhammad Alias has previously stated that EPF must liquidate some assets and rebalance its investment portfolio to provide depositors with billions of ringgits.

Tunku Alizakri did not provide details about the liquidation plan, but said the fund will study the assets that are “best suited” to its long-term strategy. The asset sale plan has been implemented since March to ensure that EPF has sufficient funds as soon as possible. However, the fund needs to pay attention to its potential impact on the market. EPF is the largest single investor in the local stock market. According to Tengku Zafrul, EPF currently manages assets of RM960 billion.

i-Sinar will supplement other assistance services and other EPF relief offered by the Government during the pandemic, such as lowering the statutory contribution limit for workers, i-Lestari withdrawal facilities and the Employer Covid-19 employer programme. EPF advises members first to obtain financial advice from their retirement advisory services or credit advisory services. And debt management agencies to assess the right amount applicable under i-Sinar in order to ensure liquidity during the crisis. The compilation list of
pros and cons of the usage of EPF i-Sinar.

Permohonan i-Sinar KWSP: Cara Mohon, Kriteria & Pendaftaran Lengkap

Pro 1: Allows to offset non-targeted repayment assistance commitments
Given that the Central Bank has announced the suspension of the six-month automatic repayment of individuals and small and medium-sized enterprises from April to September of this year, some people may wonder why additional funds are required. For those who are already in financial distress at the conclusion of the suspension period, the Bank may continue to offer different types of tailored repayment assistance until June 2021. However, the repayment of loans is not the only financial responsibility that Malaysians face. Even if other types of aid are introduced, such as concessions on energy rates and delayed payment of insurance premiums, these steps cannot be assumed to fully eliminate their financial strain. What’s more, what about the investment on grocery, childcare, school, rental, water and power, the telephone, transport and other needs? Both of these are required investment, but they cannot be delayed by any form of assistance. Here, those with financial restrictions most require i-Sinar’s funds.

Con 1: Less savings for overall retirement
With the exception of compound interest laws, if you use the i-Sinar strategy, you will gradually decrease your retirement funds even though the plan is considered a “advanced” feature rather than a withdrawal feature. According to EPF, all potential contributions will be transferred to Akaun 1 before the withdrawal balance under i-Sinar has been repaid. After that, the donation will be returned to the original 70:30 ratio of Akaun 1 and Akaun 2.

Somewhat, the issue with this process is that you did not actually “replenish” the withdrawal number and you did not raise your own donations to make up for the gap you withdrew. You just pause your contribution to Akaun 2 to focus it on Akaun 1, but at the end of the day, the net balance is already smaller than the unused i-Sinar. In short, because you spend more at your own cost after withdrawing from i-Sinar, you would not automatically be able to substitute the amount withdrawn.

Jan 3, 2021 0