Ministry to probe granting of aid to non-citizens

KOTA KINABALU: The Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives will investigate the alleged abuse of power that allowed non-Malaysian citizens to receive microcredit assistance from the Yayasan Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM) in Sabah in 2013.

Its minister, Datuk Ewon Benedick, said that his ministry takes the matter seriously and will conduct a proper investigation.

“Fundamentally, Malaysian government agency financing cannot be given to non-citizens.

“But I was informed that after 2013, AIM no longer received new applications involving noncitizens.

“The Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives will conduct an investigation, and the results will be presented at the Cabinet meeting,” he said when responding to the call of Tuaran Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau for investigation.

Tangau said that the matter needs to be investigated as it is currently impacting local borrowers or the ‘Sahabat

Usahawan’ in the state.

“I understand that simply because they are poor, they were granted microcredit facilities even though they are not citizens.

And what happened during the national security forces’ fight against the Tanduo intrusion in March 2013, they fled, leaving behind outstanding debts.

“This has tarnished AIM’s integrity in Sabah and led to the transfer of micro credit management in Sabah to Putrajaya.

“It is not just a Sabah issue but more of an abuse of power problem,” he said in a recent debate in the Dewan Rakyat.

According to Ewon, he does not have information on why the administration at that time provided AIM microcredit financing to non-citizens.

“But I am here to assure this House and the honorable member from Tuaran that I will investigate this matter, as financing for non-citizens is a serious matter and, in my view, unacceptable.

“This is because our own citizens still require appropriate financing,” he clarified.