IN line with the concept of Concern for the People, the Selangor government came up with the HIJRAH programme that is specifically aimed at expanding the middle-class among small businessmen in the state.
Through the injection of a RM100 million allocation by the state government led by the Chief Minister, Mohamed Azmin Ali, it opens up opportunities to traders to take up loans up to RM50,000.
“HIJRAH is strengthened through the Selangor Microcredit Scheme (SkimSel) and the Urban Poor Microcredit Scheme (MiMBAR). The state government raising the allocation ceiling for the two funds to RM100 million compared to the RM70 million previously,” he said.
Without complicated procedures, the loan payment procedures are also friendly, and do not burden the borrowers like other financial organisations.
The state government’s approach is totally different from the federal government that sympathizes with the people through the 1Malaysia People’s Air (BR1M).
Clearly, BR1M failed to educate the people to be self-reliant and is far away from helping the people start or expand their businesses and HIJRAH does not only give the fish, but the bait and rod for a survival that is more secure in addition to educating the people to be independent.
It appeared as a single institution so far that offers loans, savings and investment in a transaction, in addition to offering a number of other services.
“HIJRAH enables small businesses that do not have the capital to venture into entrepreneurship to face the tough economic climate. The objective of its establishment also focuses on developing small enterprises to eradicate poverty in Selangor,” said Mohamed Azmin.
Prior to this, the Selangor government targeted 56,000 participants from 56 constituencies who will receive the benefit by 2017.
However, statistics of the entries received by Selangor Kini from the management of HIJRAH found that the programme is well received.
What is expected is for thousands of HIJRAH borrowers to move into the middle-class in a few years from the success of their businesses from the capital injected by the state government.
NS
