Govt aid a lifeline for spa entrepreneur

For spa business owner Zaliha Abu Bakar, financial assistance offered by the government to those most badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic was a major blessing.

“If not for the assistance, I would have been put out of business,” she told Bernama at her spa located in Wakaf Beruas, near here.

While her spa is one of several in a chain owned by Angkatan Koperasi Kebangsaan Malaysia Bhd, Zaliha manages hers through her own company, Goheaz Beauty and Spa.

Zaliha said she was among the first, if not the first, to have applied for the aid under the Wage Subsidy Programme and the Prihatin Special Grant (GKP) when they were first introduced by the government last year.

Her troubles began when she was ordered to close during the first movement control order (MCO) in March last year.

“I needed money to pay utility bills, rental and salaries of the four staff I have,” the mother of four said.

Zaliha added she applied for more assistance when the second MCO was imposed and had to close the spa again.

She received a RM3,000 grant under the GKP programme and a RM5,000 interest-free loan from Majlis Amanah Rakyat.

Having gone through ups and downs in business, her advice to other entrepreneurs is to never give up.

“Make the best use of the assistance provided by the government,” she said, adding that the notion that the process involved in applying for government assistance is complicated due to bureaucratic red tape is not true.