EPF Loan: More Joy or More Suffering?

Starting from April 7, 2023, Employees Provident Fund (EPF) members who fulfill certain conditions were allowed to apply for a loan of up to RM5,0000 from banks, with lower interest rates compared to other loan schemes. It seems the government has given in to the pressure from various groups, including the opposition, to open another round of EPF special withdrawal to help members in dire need of money. As helpful as it sounds, this loan scheme would lead to more long-term problems while leaving the urgent short-term ones unresolved.

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A Cautionary Tale: The Time I Got Scammed

I used to think that scams were easy to avoid as long as one was vigilant. Whether it be in person or online, signs of a scam are obvious when you spot an abnormality that arises outside of a normal circumstance. Moreover, in the digital age, where we get notified of all sorts of scams from news outlets and stories, it seems inevitable that one feels confident in identifying a scam if and when they come across one. I was that way, having traversed most of London on my own while avoiding the typical tourist scams that are part and parcel of big cities. However, after one particular encounter, I had to realign my viewpoint on scams.

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