The government needs to make it clear that i-Sinar and other Employees Provident Fund (EPF) programmes are stop-gap measures in light of the current challenging economic situation.

Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas) research manager Lau Zheng Zhou said while people urgently need to meet financial obligations in these challenging times, they should not be encouraged to think of EPF savings as their first option for funds.

Ideas is concerned over the...