KOTA KINABALU: Entrepreneurs and cooperatives affected by floods and landslides can apply for loan restructuring or a repayment deferment of up to six months, said Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives, Datuk Ewon Benedick.
He stated that the existing policy is implemented nationwide whenever a district or state is officially declared a disaster area.
“The Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (KUSKOP) has seven financing agencies, including Bank Rakyat, SME Bank, TEKUN Nasional, Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM), the Malaysian Cooperative Commission (SKM), Perbadanan Nasional Berhad (PERNAS), and SME Corp Malaysia.
“Entrepreneurs or cooperatives affected can apply for a loan deferment, provided they lodge a police report and inform their respective financing agency.
“For example, if they are a borrower from Bank Rakyat, they need to submit a police report and confirmation that their business premises were affected by the disaster,” he said.
He made these remarks when speaking to reporters after leading a delegation from Bank Rakyat on a courtesy visit to the Governor of Sabah, Tun Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Musa Aman, at the Istana Seri Kinabalu today.
According to Ewon, this policy applies in Sabah, particularly in disaster-affected districts such as Penampang, Papar, Beaufort, Sipitang, and several other areas.
“We want to assist and ensure that entrepreneurs and cooperatives have the opportunity to recover after suffering losses due to disasters,” he said.
Earlier, Ewon visited the families of landslide victims in Kg Marahang and Kg Mook, Limbahau, Papar, where five lives were lost.
In Kg Marahang, the landslide claimed three family members, while in Kg Mook, two members of another family were also killed.
Ewon, who is also President of the United Kinabalu Progressive Organisation (UPKO), attended the funerals with party leaders to pay their final respects and deliver condolence contributions.
“May our collective prayers provide strength to the grieving families,” he said.
During the same visit, he also handed over food aid baskets to the Limbahau Community Service Centre for distribution to flood victims in the area.
He expressed his appreciation to TEKUN Nasional, one of the agencies under KUSKOP, for contributing the food aid baskets.
