KUCHING: Bank Rakyat will look into ways to provide better banking facilities and services in Sarawak’s rural areas.
Its chief executive officer Datuk Syed Abdul Aziz Syed Hassan noted that while there were not many bank branches in rural areas, there were banking agents to help rural communities with banking services.
He also pointed out that they were still studying and looking into the matter to find possible ways to deliver banking services to the rural communities.
Abdul Aziz added that the state government have helped a lot in many ways to pave way for the bank to reach out to rural communities.
“With the help of the Sarawak government, we have provided a mobile bank, which is stationed in Bintulu.
“This covers areas like Nyalau, Tatau, Sebauh, Sungai Asap in Kapit and Balingian in Mukah.
“We also have automatic transaction machines (ATM) for communities from Tebedu, Simunjan, Kabong, Roban, Julau, Suai and Tatau to have access to.”
In addition, Bank Rakyat chief business banking officer Muhamad Shiblie Abang Sapuan said that there were challenges faced when trying to provide facilities and services in rural areas.
“In rural areas, the only problem accessing our banking facilities is Internet connection.
“Hence, with the assistance from the government, they will try to get satellite communication up.”
That way, he said it enabled the bank to service the rural communities, pointing out that rural communities preferred Bank Rakyat as it is well known to them.
When asked about rural locations that have no road access, he said that services through banking agents were the only way at the moment.
