Sabah wants micro-credit loans to help people

KOTA MARUDU, Mar 29 (The Star) -- A zero or low interest loan scheme needs to be introduced to assist the many poor people in Sabah whose homes are in dire need of repair, said Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili.

He said Sabah should emulate the Sarawak Government’s move in adopting the scheme.

The Kota Marudu MP said that there were about 2,000 households under the e-Kasih scheme that entitles them to housing aid in his constituency alone.

He said about 100 households received aid through e-Kasih annually and going by this rate, it would take 20 years to cover all of them.

Under the National Key Result Areas (NKRA), the target is for the hardcore poor to be provided with homes within three years.

“Hence, there must be some kind of scheme to hasten the distribution of aid to the poor,” he added.

Dr Ongkili said the scheme can be from RM2,000 to RM10,000 interest-free or low-interest loans, adding that since many were in the civil service or under corporate employment, they can pay up the loans with some arrangement with the state.

This, he said, would enable dilapidated homes to be repaired.

He pointed out that 10 longhouses in Matunggong and Tandek — the two state seats in Kota Marudu — were in such bad condition that they posed a danger to their occupants.

Federal aid was insufficient to fulfil these needs, he said, adding that the Kota Marudu parliamentary constituency has been listed as one of the poorest regions in the state.

Dr Ongkili said 30 more longhouses in Matunggong needed repairs.

“We hope to rebuild three more this year, including in Tandek,” he said during a visit to the Kampung Hobut longhouse’s new site on Saturday.