PUNB loans help Bumi entrepreneurs further grow

ALOR GAJAH: Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Malaysia (PUNB) not only provide business loans to Bumiputera entrepreneurs nationwide but also to help them realise their dream to further grow their businesses.

Apparel, textile and accessories entrepreneur, Abdul Rahman Jaafar, 44, said besides the ease of applying for a PUNB loan compare to from other financial institutions, PUNB also provides assistance in corporate governance, marketing and financial management.

“I am grateful and thankful to PUNB for the financing and it has helped me alot to grow and further expand my business,” he told Bernama.

Abdul Rahman, who only has a Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah certificate and not well-versed in reading and writing and had lived in poverty before, can now smile proudly with his success in owning 10 companies in Melaka and Kuala Lumpur.

Among the companies owned by Abdul Raman, who hailed

I am grateful and thankful to PUNB for the financing and it has helped me alot to grow and further expand my business. Abdul Rahman Jaafar, apparel, textile and accessories entrepreneur

from Masjid Tanah, are Raman & Aiza Group Sdn Bhd, Gee Cantik Bridal House, Abdul Raman & Aiza Enterprise, Amni Home Décor, As Hair Saloon and Bumble Barber Shop.

Abdul Raman said the initial loan to start his business was RM100,000 from a bank in 2013 and the capital to expand his business was from PUNB – RM280,000 in 2015 and RM500,000 in 2017.

“Actually, it is not difficult to deal with PUNB, especially for people like me who is not fluent in reading and writing, because the staff is helpful and document management is not too difficult.

“In my opinion PUNB is the best financing agency for Bumiputera entrepreneurs to get business loans. Therefore, those who want to venture into business should quickly take advantage of this opportunity,” said Abdul Rahman, a father of two kids.

He said two of most his successful businesses were Amni Home Décor, an interior design centre, and Gee Cantik Bridal House, a bridal boutique in Masjid Tanah.

He said the 30 employees managed over 1,000 varieties of fabric fabrics imported from South Korea and China as well as over 400 pairs of beautifully-decorated wedding dresses with beads and sequins.

Abdul Raman said by year-end, he targeted sales of RM1.44 million for Amni Home Décor, with an average of RM120,000 a month and RM2.16 million for Gee Cantik Bridal House with an average of RM180,000 a month.

On his experience before becoming a successful businessman, the fifth child of nine siblings said he had been tricked by a ‘Datuk’, before who claimed to be a PUNB agent supposedly wanted to help get a loan.

He said that he was not fluent in reading and writing and the individual took advantage of him to cheat when he first applied for a business loan at PUNB.

“I only went to school until the sixth year and in form one I attended only 15 days at the beginning of school, so I did not read and write smoothly. The individual took advantage of me.

PUNB ch a i rman Tan Sri Mohd Ali Rustam, has reportedly insisted that it has never appointed any party or individual as an entrepreneur’s financial institution’s agent to help entrepreneurs get business loans.

Mohd Ali said instead, entrepreneurs wishing to apply for loans should deal with nearby PUNB branches to obtain forms and information related to business loans. — Bernama