KUCHING: The government is looking to create more branches, mobile banks and bank agents for Bank Rakyat throughout Malaysia, said Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
He stated this after holding discussions with Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas on the shortage of bank agents in the state’s rural areas.
According to him, shortage of banks and automated teller machines (ATMs) in the interior parts of Sabah and Sarawak — most of which have only one ATM, are unable to accommodate the surrounding population.
“Therefore, to solve this problem, we are looking to create more branches, mobile banks and bank agents for Bank Rakyat nationwide,” he told our reporter in an interview at his residence here today.
Wan Junaidi, who is also Santubong MP, said discussions were also held with the Ministry of Finance in an effort to create more bank agents under the supervision of schools.
“When the school closes, the bank’s agent service will also be temporarily halted. This is impractical. Therefore, I propose that the bank agent’s services be given to pemanca, penghulu or tuai rumah.
“These bank agents are important because applicants will need their approval (for loan applications from Tekun Nasional).
“Currently, Sarawak has only 11 Bank Rakyat agents and I aim to have at least 200 agents open in Sabah and Sarawak within a year,” he said, adding Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN), which is under Bank Negara Malaysia, has more than 300 agents nationwide.
At the same time, Wan Junaidi urged Sarawakians to take advantage of the Indonesian plan of moving capital to East Kalimantan.
