Tailors, seamstresses given new lease of life
TAWAU: The People’s Economic Stimulus Package (PRIHATIN) and the Government-introduced National Economic Rebuilding Plan (PENJANA) have given new impetus to tailors affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO).
Usually, the coming of ‘syawal’ tailors will make more income compared to any other months and the average seamstress will not be able to cope with orders received from families to individuals who want a new ‘Baju Raya’.
However, this year was quite different as they not only received no additional bookings, but also had to accept the fact that some of their customers had to cancel their bookings due to the MCO and unstable family income.
Fortunately for them, the government understands the difficulties faced by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by introducing PRIHATIN and PENJANA packages to help ease the burden of this group.
Small-time tailor, Fatmahwati Abbas, 42, said the implementation of the MCO over the past three months had greatly affected her family’s source of income that relied on sewing orders as her husband’s income as a school bus operator was affected at the time.
She said compared to other tailors, she was fortunate not to have to worry about renting a premises because all her sewing is done in her own home over the last 10 years.
Fatmahwati said the decision to file an online loan application with the Business Entrepreneur Group Economic Fund (TEKUN) earlier in April this year was the right decision to help sustain her sewing business.
“Barely a month after making the application, TEKUN came to visit to confirm my sewing business activity before it was approved on April 25 this year,” she said.
For the first application, she said TEKUN approved a loan of RM8,000 to revitalize the sewing business and to buy a new sewing machine model.
According to her, the PRIHATIN and PENJANA packages announced by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, were also good news for SMEs as they provided easy loan schemes without charging any interest.
Apart from that, she said since the MCO was implemented all loan repayments have been delayed for six months until October and it allowed people like her to use the withdrawal as capital.
The mother of three said she is optimistic that the sewing industry can provide a decent income if it has sufficient capital as well as government assistance.
With PRIHATIN and PENJANA packages and easy loans from TEKUN every SME entrepreneur can expand their existing business, she said.
Fatmahwati said she is planning to open a shop if she can get more help from TEKUN because she is confident that the sewing industry can make a good income.
She expressed her gratitude with the help from PRIHATIN and PENJANA provided by the government which was timely when all SMEs faced hardship and uncertain future due to the Covid-19 outbreak and MCO.
She said those who received the help are happy as if it gave them a new lease of life and helped them to recover.