PETALING JAYA: One out of five working adults did not manage to save any money over the last six months, a survey has shown.

The Debt Management and Counselling Agency (AKPK) survey also found that three out of 10 working adults had to borrow money to buy essential goods.

AKPK chief executive officer Azaddin Ngah Tasir said the majority involved either earned less than RM2,000 or were self-employed.

“The main reason why many of them were unable to save was the high cost of living,” he told reporters.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail had earlier launched AKPK’S inaugural financial behaviour survey report at its Financial Literacy Symposium 2018.

The survey, from January to July, involved more than 3,500 Malaysian working adults. Six advisers from public and private institutions of higher learning were engaged.

“As shown by the survey, the financial well-being of the respondents was at dismal levels.

“Many did not set aside money for emergency needs and medical expenses. They would not be able to cover three months of expenses if retrenched,” said Azad­din.

The survey also found that government employees formed the highest percentage of borrowers of personal loans and that more than half of those about to retire were still servicing housing and car loans.

It also found that those working in the agriculture, security and enforcement sectors scored lowest on financial well-being.

In her speech, Dr Wan Azizah said as of September, 13,338 Malay­sians were declared bankrupt.

She said financial planning did not start only when one encountered financial problems and that all should have a financial budget.

“The Finance Minister presented the national budget two weeks ago, which among others, outlined the country’s revenues and expenses.

“Why can’t we, then, as individuals start with an annual or a monthly financial budget, outlining our own incomes and expenses for the period?” she asked.

KUALA LUMPUR: A recent survey has shown that 22% of Malaysians do not keep track of their savings, and 24% do not keep a budget and financial records.

Visa Country Manager for Malaysia Ng Koon Boon said this at the launch of the "Treat Your Money Right" initiative which is a collaborative between credit card services provider Visa and the Credit Counselling and Debt Management Agency (AKPK) in conjunction with World Savings Day.

Ng added also revealed other interesting insights into Malaysians' money management behaviour derived from the Visa Financial Literacy Study 2018 survey.

"Sixty percent of Malaysians keep enough money to meet their basic needs, 67% consider saving for emergencies as their ultimate motivation, 45% have a hard time-saving money and 54% try to give away as much of their money as possible to good causes and social investments," he said.

Ng said the study proved that it was important for Malaysians to understand their individual money management styles.

"Partnering with AKPK to launch this campaign is apt since our research shows a number of Malaysians have room to improve their budgeting and saving techniques.

"We believe that all Malaysians should learn how to manage their finances to plan and prepare for various stages of their lives so that they can have a better future" he said.

AKPK general manager Azman Hasim hopes to encourage as many Malaysians to take a more active interest in planning their finances and not just focus on savings.

"The first step in becoming better at anything, especially on the topic of money, is to challenge yourself (to better manage your finances)," he said.

Visa and AKPK invite members of the public to challenge themselves in the "Treat Your Money Right" Facebook competition.

The competition welcomes participants to take the" what's your money management personality? "quiz and share a savings tip and an anecdote that best describes their best money management personality on Facebook.

The Facebook competition began today and ends on Nov 14.

Participants stand a chance to win RM5,000 and eight units of Apple watch Series 3 amongst other prizes.

KUALA LUMPUR: Agensi Kaunseling dan Pengurusan Kredit (AKPK) melihat golongan yang berpendapatan kurang daripada RM5,000 adalah mereka yang menjadi penyumbang utama kepada peningkatan pertumbuhan pinjaman tidak berbayar.

Pengurus Besar AKPK, Azman Hasim berkata, segmen pembiayaan peribadi juga antara faktor utama menyumbang kepada peningkatan kadar keberhutangan isi rumah itu.

Katanya, AKPK turut menerima data yang sama dengan laporan kestabilan kewangan yang dikeluarkan Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM).

“Laporan oleh BNM itu selari dengan rekod individu yang menghadiri sesi perkhidmatan kaunseling bersama AKPK melalui Program Pengurusan Kredit (PPK).

“Peningkatan pinjaman tak berbayar itu juga kebanyakannya terdiri daripada kalangan penjawat awam dan mereka yang memperoleh gaji kurang RM5,000.

“Berdasarkan PPK yang dijalankan oleh AKPK, punca utama (40.6 peratus) terjadinya kegagalan pembayaran hutang adalah disebabkan perancangan kewangan yang lemah,” katanya.

Beliau mengulas mengenai laporan kestabilan kewangan oleh BNM yang dikeluarkan baru-baru ini mengenai kadar keberhutangan rakyat Malaysia menurun kepada 83.8 peratus daripada nilai Keluaran Dalam Negara Kasar (KDNK).

Namun begitu, pertumbuhan pinjaman tidak berbayar bagi pembiayaan peribadi, pembelian hartanah kediaman dan hartanah bukan kediaman masing-masing mencatatkan peningkatan sebanyak 7.5 peratus, 4.4 peratus dan 20.4 peratus.

Azman berkata, selain itu kos sara hidup yang tinggi juga turut menjadi punca utama golongan terbabit gagal membayar pinjaman.

“Mereka yang mempunyai masalah gagal membayar pinjaman ini perlu meningkatkan kemahiran pengurusan kewangan mereka dengan mendapatkan ilmu atau pendidikan kewangan yang bersesuaian,” katanya.

“AKPK sendiri aktif menyediakan program yang menyentuh mengenai kemahiran asas mengurus wang dan kredit berdasarkan empat tahap dalam kehidupan iaitu fasa mengikuti pendidikan pengajian tinggi, memasuki alam pekerjaan, memulakan dan membina keluarga, dan menjalani persaraan,” katanya.

Beliau berkata, kaunseling kewangan dan program pengurusan kredit adalah perkhidmatan yang disediakan oleh AKPK secara percuma kepada individu tanpa melalui mana-mana pihak ketiga.

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 12): Agensi Kaunseling dan Pengurusan Kredit (AKPK), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank Negara Malaysia, has appointed Anuar Mohd Hassan as chairman of the board of directors effective Sept 3.

In a statement today, AKPK said he brings to the agency, extensive experience in insurance and finance acquired from his previous senior management roles in several prominent insurance companies, both local and international.

"In addition to several directorships held in insurance and takaful companies, Anuar was also a past director of International Centre for Leadership in Finance, Malaysia Oxygen Bhd and Financial Park Labuan (L) Sdn Bhd.

"He has also held the position of a chairman in various organisations, including Persatuan Insurans Am Malaysia, Asean Insurance Council, Jakarta, The FAIR Non Life Pool, Istanbul and The FAIR Oil & Energy Insurance Syndicate, Bahrain," the statement added.

KUALA LUMPUR, 12 Sept (Bernama) -- Agensi Kaunseling dan Pengurusan Kredit (AKPK), anak syarikat milik penuh Bank Negara Malaysia, melantik Anuar Mohd Hassan sebagai Pengerusi Lembaga Pengarah baharu berkuat kuasa 3 September, 2018.

AKPK dalam satu kenyataan hari ini berkata Anuar memiliki pengalaman luas dalam bidang insurans dan takaful yang diperoleh semasa beliau memegang jawatan pengurusan tertinggi di beberapa syarikat insurans tempatan dan juga diperingkat antarabangsa.

Beliau juga pernah menyandang jawatan pengarah di International Centre for Leadership in Finance, Malaysia Oxygen Bhd dan Financial Park Labuan (L) Sdn Bhd, dan juga menjadi pengerusi di pelbagai organisasi termasuk Persatuan Insurans Am Malaysia dan ASEAN Insurance Council, Jakarta.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Social Security Organisation (Socso), in collaboration with four agencies, has launched the Social Synergy Programme to further improve Socso beneficiaries' economic standing and quality of life.

The four agencies are Credit Counselling and Debt Management Agency (AKPK), Giat Mara, Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM) and Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC).

Deputy chief executive (corporate) of Socso, Azlaily Abdul Rahman, said the cooperation is a form of social safety network that will provide a host of benefits to target groups.

"As the leading social security organisation in Malaysia, Socso has taken a proactive step by cooperating with AKPK in October last year. About 50 Socso beneficiaries have taken the debt restructuring programme under AKPK.

"It has indirectly rendered continuous aid and protection to Socso beneficiaries as well as the public at large," she said at a press conference after launching the Social Synergy Programme, themed 'Strong Synergy, Prosperous People'.

Also present was AKPK chief executive officer Azaddin Ngah Tasir and AIM chief executive officer Mohamed Shamir Abdul Aziz, as well as representatives from Giat Mara and MDEC.

Azlaily is anticipating a greater number of prospective beneficiaries, notably those who deal with other agencies, benefiting from the said programme's synergy.

She also welcomed other social security agencies looking to join the Social Synergy Programme. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR: Shopping for Hari Raya has never seemed more exciting now that the 6% Goods and Services Tax (GST) has been zero-rated and consumers have higher purchasing power.

Shoppers, however, are advised to keep their spending in check as unbridled extravagance will only lead to financial constraints later.

“There’s a tendency for people to be attracted to sales offers and to go overboard with their spending. They use their credit cards and take personal loans, which are all non-productive,” said the Credit Counselling and Debt Management Agency’s Kuala Terengganu branch manager Junainah Ahmad Esa.

Some people also take a salary advance for their Hari Raya preparations, which would be deducted from their subsequent salaries until they have settled the advance payment in full.

Pointing to the importance of working out a realistic budget for festive spending, Junainah said the quantum should be determined earlier so as not to disrupt the overall expenditure for the month in which the festival falls.

For people who face budget constraints, Junainah said they should give priority to spending on necessities and not spend as they wished.

“Yes, there’s bound to be extra expenditure during the festive season but one shouldn’t ignore the importance of setting aside some money as savings.

“By right, 10% of one’s income should be saved every month for a rainy day,” she added.

Consumers can be smart shoppers and get the latest updates on discounts and promotions.

“Also, compare prices at various shopping complexes,” said Junainah.

Homemaker Nur Hasmila Hassan, 48, said priority was always given to settling the household bills and expenses like road tax for the car before setting aside money for celebrations like Hari Raya.

The mother of four is careful with her Hari Raya spending because her husband, who works in the private sector, is the family’s sole breadwinner.

“Although the GST for goods is now zero-rated, I still think how to stretch the ringgit further.

“Our children are still studying, so we have to manage our family finances wisely. We shouldn’t use Hari Raya as an excuse to buy all kinds of new things and spend beyond our means,” Nur Hasmila said.

“Something new does not necessarily have to be expensive, it all goes down to the basics of how we spend our money.” — Bernama

THE more common types of investments available in the financial market place are detailled below :

Cash and fixed interest investments

Cash investments are the most common form of investment in Malaysia, covering products such as bank savings accounts and fixed deposits. They provide easy access to your money when you need it, and there is no chance you could lose any capital – so they are very secure.

However, while they do offer security, they usually provide very little income and no capital growth. Actually, they can be quite risky in the long-term because inflation erodes the value of your investments.

For most investors, cash and fixed interest products are suitable for use as a transaction account, Keeping cash in hand for short-term expenses and emergencies, and short-term savings where they cannot afford any risk to their capital.

Shares

Shares (also known as equities or stocks) represent ownership in a company. When you buy a share, you become a part-owner in the company and become entitled to share in its future value and profits.

Shares in a company offer growth to investors in two key ways: As the overall value of the company increases, the value of the shares also increases, and you can earn dividends when the company chooses to pay part of its profits to shareholders as income payment

Shares have the potential to generate very high returns. However, they also have the potential to fall in value if the company’s performance drops.

Shares are generally suitable for investors who want to build a nest egg for medium and long-term financial goals Have a longer investment time-frame.

Ideally, it is also for investors who are comfortable with some volatility in their investment value over the short-term, in exchange for higher returns in the long-term (in terms of dividend income and capital gain).

Unit trust funds

In a unit trust, money from hundreds of individual investors are pooled together to buy a large number of different assets. Professional fund managers decide what percentage of the fund should be invested in each asset class, and also which countries, industries and companies have the best prospects for good returns.

Each investor then receives ‘units’ in the fund, with each unit representing a mix of all the underlying assets such as shares, bonds and fixed deposits.

Unit trust funds are an ideal option for people who are new to investing; happy to outsource the selection of investments to professional managers; having small initial amount to invest; and seeking investment diversification to minimise risk.

Property

Property is one asset class that most Malaysians are familiar with. Property investment offers value to investors in two ways:

Increase in capital value over time as house and land prices rise

Earn rental income from tenants.

Like shares, property prices go up and down and have periods of sustained high returns and sustained low returns, so property is generally only suitable as a long-term investment. One of the most important factors to consider when buying property is its location.

Property is generally suitable for investors who have no requirement for ‘emergency’ access to their money A long-term investment time-frame, as well as investors who have the ability to meet mortgage repayments if interest rates rise or if the property is not being rented.

Bonds

When you buy a government or corporate bond, you are ‘lending’ your money for a certain period at a predetermined interest rate. In return, you receive a steady income stream through regular interest payments.

Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT)

This is similar to a unit trust except that the investments are in property and real estate. The profits from such investments are passed on to investors in the form of dividends.

The Credit Counselling and Debt Management Agency (AKPK) is an agency under Bank Negara Malaysia tasked to help individuals take control of their financial situation. For assistance, please contact AKPK’s Power Infoline at 03-26167766 or visit www.akpk.org.my.

KOTA BHARU 4 April - Sebanyak 28,000 orang te­lah mendaftar untuk mendapatkan perkhidmatan kaun­­­seling kewangan daripada Agensi Kaunseling dan Pengurusan Kredit (AKPK) di negeri ini.

Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif AKPK, Azaddin Ngah Tasir berkata, daripada jumlah tersebut, sebanyak 4,000 telah memohon untuk mengikuti Program Pengurusan Kredit (DMP).

Beliau berkata, DMP akan membantu individu untuk me­nguruskan hutang mereka de­ngan lebih baik termasuk khidmat kaunseling dan sebagainya.

“Kebanyakan yang men­da­patkan perkhidmatan de­ngan AKPK adalah, mereka yang berumur 30 hingga 50 tahun dan 46 peratus mempunyai masalah kegagalan menguruskan kewangan,” kata­nya dalam sidang akhbar selepas merasmikan program Celik Pitih 2018 anjuran bersama Jabatan Kesihatan di sini hari ini.

Yang turut hadir Pengarah AKPK negeri, Mohd. Rizauddin Noor dan Timbalan Pengarah Bahagian Pengurusan, Jabatan Kesihatan negeri, Ghazali Hizam, bagi mewakili Pengarahnya, Datuk Dr. Ahmad Razin Ahmad Maher.

Program anjuran Unit Psikologi dan Kaunseling Jabatan Kesihatan negeri dengan kerjasama AKPK itu dihadiri 500 kakitangan kesihatan negeri.

Azaddin berkata, pendidikan ke­­­wangan sangat penting supaya masyarakat mempunyai penge­tahuan dan celik kewangan yang secara tidak langsung dapat membantu mereka merancang dengan lebih baik disebabkan sumber yang terhad.

“Kita banyak mendengar ta­wa­ran yang diberikan pelbagai pihak, namun saya nasihatkan orang ramai supaya me­rujuk kepada AKPK kerana pada akhirnya mereka akan datang kepada kami untuk mendapatkan perkhidmatan kaunseling dan tidak ada sebarang kos yang dikenakan.

“Usaha menyedarkan ma­sya­rakat mengenai perlunya me­ngurus kewangan secara berhemat tidak mudah dan golongan muda dilihat ghairah berbelanja bukan sahaja secara tunai, malah secara kredit,” ujarnya.

8 February 2018 - HARDLY a day passes without newspapers publishing classifieds on bankruptcy cases.

Between 2013 and 2017, over 100,000 individuals were made bankrupts. The statistics become grimmer if we take into account that 34% of them were between 35 and 44 years old.

We are not talking about people who failed to pay loans running into millions but youth as young as 21 or just starting out in life. Daily an average of 41 young people aged between 21 and 40 are declared bankrupt.

And all mainly for bad debts due to hire purchase loans for cars, houses or credit cards worth as low as RM30,000.

Things would have been worse if not for Bank Negara Malaysia's foresight in setting up the Credit Counselling and Debt Management Agency (AKPK) 11 years ago.

AKPK has helped tens of thousands of people. It counsels and gets to the root cause – usually poor financial planning – for young wage earners, who can hardly make ends meet especially in urban areas.

These are the people who are battling with the high cost of living, failure or slowdown in business, high medical expenses and job loss.

We have more reasons to worry with a revelation by the Malaysian Employers Federation that some 50,000 workers are expected to be retrenched this year.

Regular news reports about young bankrupts and advertisements by creditors led to the timely political will by the government with the passage in Parliament late last year of major amendments to the Bankruptcy Act 1967, now renamed the Insolvency Act.

The AKPK will be in the forefront of enforcing the spirit of eight policy changes under the Act that came into force last October.

Its CEO Azaddin Ngah Tasir said one policy change now gives the agency the right to intervene on behalf of debtors by stalling bankruptcy action and bringing banks to the negotiation table.

Under the Voluntary Arrangement mechanism, AKPK will act as a nominee for the debtor; this involves an application to the court for an interim order whereby during its effective period, no bankruptcy petition and other legal process may be commenced or continued against the debtor without the court's permission.

AKPK will be given 90 days from the interim order to assist the debtor to prepare a debt repayment plan.

"The borrowers can come to us and we will evaluate whether they are eligible for us to represent them as a nominee. We will look into their affairs and see how best they can make payments. We will then talk to the creditors and restructure the loans for them, once we've got the approvals from the court," said Azaddin.

Other changes to the Act include the setting up of the Insolvency Assistance Fund to ease the administration of bankruptcy cases and a release from bankruptcy without objection by the creditors for certain groups of people.

They include "social guarantors" made bankrupt under the previous Bankruptcy Act 1967 such as those who have died, people categorised with disabilities by the Welfare Department as well as those certified by government doctors as suffering from chronic medical conditions.

Another important amendment is raising the debt threshold to RM50,000 at least for bankruptcy declarations from RM30,000 previously, a clause that caught many people especially friends and relatives who stood as guarantors.

Over the past four years, the courts cleared over 1,400 bankruptcy cases while some 12,400 more cases were annulled and another 46,000 discharged from bankruptcy.

As of last December the agency has helped resolve about 15,000 cases involving debts worth RM617.4 million.

Banks have been over-zealous in issuing credit cards even to new wage earners resulting in many of them having multiple cards when they can hardly afford even one after paying their car loans and other commitments.

And many of them get into financial woes with their first huge commitment, their car instalment, as the majority with a salary of around RM2,000 having to fork the bulk of it just to service their car loans.

Malaysia is perhaps the most obvious car society in the world due to us being late starters in providing seamless mass transit transport systems.

Most of the bankruptcy cases relating to non-payment of car loans could be avoided if more young people opt to buy good second-hand vehicles that are cheaper than new ones.

I know nothing like the thrill of driving a new car out of a showroom but this pleasure is short-lived and disappears once the car owner can't service his or her loans.

It's time for all industry players to start thinking of making more affordable cars.

Let's hope more efforts are put into improving our image as a country with one of the world's highest household debts and we need to do more to save people especially the young from the bankruptcy trap.

Well done AKPK and keep up your noble work.

KUALA LUMPUR 29 Jan. - Agensi Kaunseling dan Pe­ngurusan Kredit (AKPK) te­lah membantu menyelesaikan 15,439 kes hutang melibatkan RM617.4 juta menerusi Program Pengurusan Kredit (PPK) sehingga 31 Disember tahun lalu.

Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif AKPK, Azaddin Ngah Tasir berkata, PPK merupakan program yang diwujudkan untuk membantu pe­minjam memperbaiki kedudukan kewangan dalam menunaikan pembayaran hutang dan perbelanjaan hidup sekali gus mengelakkan daripada diisytihar bankrap.

Katanya, seramai 683,169 pe­langgan telah mendapatkan per­khidmatan kaunseling AKPK sehingga 31 Disember 2017 di mana 210,814 telah dibantu menerusi PPK.

“Perancangan kewangan yang lemah merupakan punca masalah kewangan utama iaitu merangkumi 43.3 peratus daripada kes yang diterima selain kos sara hidup tinggi (21.8 peratus) dan kegagalan dalam perniagaan sebanyak 14.5 peratus.

“Kami berharap lebih ramai bersikap proaktif dan hadir ke AKPK untuk bertanyakan tentang hal-hal kewangan sekali gus meningkatkan kadar celik kewangan di samping mengurangkan jumlah individu yang terjerumus dengan kedudukan kewangan yang buruk,” kata­nya dalam majlis taklimat Perkiraan Sukarela (VA) di sini hari ini.

Yang turut hadir, Ketua Pengarah Jabatan Insolvensi, Datuk Abdul Rahman Putra Taha dan Pe­ngurus Besar Operasi AKPK, Nor Fazleen Zakaria.

Taklimat VA yang dihadiri oleh penyedia kredit termasuk ketua bahagian kutipan hutang, wakil institusi kewangan dan organisasi berkaitan diadakan bagi menerangkan dengan lebih terperinci mengenai mekanisme VA susulan pindaan Akta Insolvensi 1967 tahun lalu.

VA adalah mekanisme penye­lamat yang memberi peluang kedua kepada penghutang untuk berunding dan merancang satu pelan pembayaran semula de­ngan kesemua penyedia kredit bagi mengelakkan tindakan lanjutan undang-undang kebankrapan.

Mengulas lanjut, Azaddin berkata, AKPK akan berperanan sebagai penama menerusi prosedur VA dalam usaha membantu menyelamatkan individu daripada diisytiharkan muflis.

Beliau berkata, selepas AKPK meneliti prestasi kewangan individu, maklumat berkenaan akan dibawa ke mahkamah yang akan mengeluarkan pe­rintah sementara selama 90 hari supaya AKPK boleh membantu menyediakan struktur pembayaran semula hutang.

“Perkhidmatan ini adalah lebih efisien kepada penyedia kredit sebagai satu daripada sumber alternatif pembayaran kerana penghutang akan dijamin untuk membayar semula hutang.

“Kami berharap VA akan mewujudkan situasi menang-menang kepada semua pihak terlibat sekali gus dapat mengurangkan jumlah individu muflis di negara ini,” ujar beliau.

Dalam pada itu, Abdul Rahman Putra berkata, VA dijangka dapat mengurangkan kadar individu muflis di negara ini sehingga 50 peratus.

“Pola peningkatan kadar muflis dilihat semakin meningkat sejak lima tahun kebelakangan ini dengan kira-kira 20,000 individu di Malaysia diisytiharkan muflis setiap tahun atas pelbagai faktor,” katanya.

Malaysia merekodkan 100,610 kes bankrap dari 2013 hingga 2017 dengan 34.4 peratus daripadanya melibatkan individu berusia antara 34 hingga 44 tahun manakala lelaki merangkumi 69 peratus da­ripada kes tersebut.

KUALA LUMPUR 29 Jan. - Agensi Kaunseling dan Pengurusan Kredit (AKPK) menganjurkan taklimat perkiraan sukarela (VA) bagi menerangkan dengan lebih terperinci mengenai mekanisma VA susulan pindaan Akta Insolvensi 1967 tahun lalu.

Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif AKPK, Azaddin Ngah Tasir berkata, AKPK berperanan sebagai penama dalam usaha membantu menyelamatkan individu daripada diisytiharkan muflis menerusi VA.

Katanya, VA adalah mekanisma penyelamat di mana memberi peluang kepada penghutang untuk berunding dan merancang satu pelan pembayaran semula dengan kesemua penyedia kredit bagi mengelakkan tindakan lanjutan undang-undang kebankrapan.

“Taklimat pada hari ini juga diharap mampu memberi penjelasan kepada penyedia kredit berkenaan lapan perubahan Dasar Rang Undang-undang (RUU) Kebankrapan (Pindaan) 2016.

“Kami amat berbesar hati dengan menawarkan khidmat sebagai penama melalui VA dan berharap dapat membantu orang ramai terutama individu yang berpotensi bankrap menerusi kerjasama dengan rakan strategik AKPK,” katanya dalam majlis taklimat pengiraan sukarela (VA) di sini hari ini. - UTUSAN ONLINE

KUALA LUMPUR: Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said mengadakan rundingan meja bulat yang membabitkan Bank Negara Malaysia, Agensi Kaunseling  dan Pengurusan Kredit (AKPK) dan Persatuan Bank-Bank Dalam Malaysia berkenaan isu-isu berkaitan kebankrapan.

"Rundingan meja bulat ini bertujuan memberi gambaran yang lebih jelas kepada pihak bank mengenai pindaan-pindaan yang telah dibuat Kerajaan di dalam Akta Insolvensi 1967," katanya.

"Rundingan meja bulat ini juga dibuat bagi membincangkan isu-isu teknikal yang dihadapi oleh pihak-pihak yang berkenaan."

Isu-isu teknikal

 Antara isu yang dibincangkan adalah mekanisme penyelamat melalui kaedah Perkiraan Sukarela (Voluntary Assessment atau VA).

Juga dibincang adalah berkenaan dengan kenaikan had minimum kebankrapan daripada RM30,000 kepada RM50,000 dan kes-kes kebankrapan yang telah ditadbir pihak-pihak berkenaan yang melebihi 15 tahun.

Selain itu, Azalina turut menyatakan hasrat Kerajaan untuk melepaskan sebanyak 10,000 bankrap setahun bagi tempoh lima tahun.

"Kerajaan juga berharap agar pihak bank meneliti dan membuat pertimbangan yang sewajarnya sebelum bantahan terhadap pelepasan dikemukakan."

Kerajaan prihatin

Pihak kerajaan turut mempelawa agar kerjasama yang baik daripada pihak bank dapat dicapai untuk membenarkan mekanisme 'penyelamat' digunakan untuk memberi peluang kepada penghutang menyusun semula hutangnya bagi mengelak sebarang prosiding kebankrapan diambil terhadap mereka.

Turut sama, Ketua Pengarah  BHEUU, Datuk Jalil Marzuki, Timbalan Ketua Pengarah MdI, Datuk Meor Hashimi Abdul Hamid, Pengarah Jabatan Consumer dan Amalan Pasaran Bank Negara, Jeremy Lee, Pengarah Eksekutif Persatuan Bank-Bank Dalam Malaysia, Kalpana Sambasivamurthy, Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif AKPK, Azaddin Ngah Tasir dan lebih 30 wakil bank kormersial yang beroperasi di Malaysia.

RECENT headlines, international and local, recall a very dark past for Malaysia and other so-called Asian Tigers.

Twenty years ago, Malaysia and other Asian nations were caught up in the turmoil of a currency crisis that swept across the continent, battering economies, pushing millions into poverty and forcing governments to seek emergency aid.

The 1997 Asian Financial Crisis sent currencies and stock markets tumbling, companies went bankrupt and governments like Thailand and South Korea were forced to seek bailouts from the International Monetary Fund.

Malaysians of the Baby Boomer and Gen X years recall the crisis as a period when the good times came to an end and we were forced into adopting severe austerity measures. But 20 years down the line, former Bank Negara Governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz feels that the country is in a much stronger position to withstand a similar crisis.

“We now have an integrated crisis management framework that, in the event that we see an imminent crisis, we will come together – whether it’s financial crisis in financial markets or whether it’s affecting financial institutions – we will come together to manage it collectively. So this is one very positive legacy that has come out of the crisis,” Zeti told StarBiz in a recent interview.

But while the country itself has safeguards that may enable it to withstand a similar financial meltdown, I am less positive about the younger generation, specifically our millennials – the early 30s and below age group.

Statistics show that there is an unprecedented debt accumulation amongst Malaysia’s millennials or Gen Ys. These young people are experiencing significant financial stress early in their life, with many living beyond their means and trapped in emotional spending, according to a study by the Asian Institute of Finance (AIF).

The survey showed a majority of Gen Ys were relying on high-cost borrowing, with 38% reported to be taking personal loans and 47% engaged in expensive credit card borrowings, while only 28% felt confident in their financial literacy.

It also showed that an alarming 75% of Gen Ys have at least one source of long-term debt such as car loans, education loans and mortgages, while 70% of those who own credit cards tended to pay the minimum monthly payment and 45% did not pay debt on time at some point.

“Despite being the most educated generation to date, Gen Ys are accruing debt at an earlier age and lack understanding when it comes to financial planning,” said AIF chief executive officer Dr Raymond Madden, when commenting on the study.

“Many of them are on the back foot when it comes to long-term financial security, as they accrue debt before they even enter their professional careers.

“With the ever-increasing complexity and diversity in financial products and markets, the millennials are more likely to bear more financial risk than previous generations, pointing to a critical need for behavioural changes in money management.”

The AIF report, themed “Finance Matters: Understanding Gen Y –Bridging the Knowledge Gap of Malaysia’s Millennials”, was based on a survey of over 1,000 young professionals aged between 20 and 33 years old.

Today, Malaysia and other Asean nations are much better off, given that the experience they went through has made these countries much more prudent and wiser in terms of managing another potential financial crisis.

However, I wonder if our young adult Malaysians are ready for a financial crisis, given that all the economies in the world go through a cyclical situation.

Even if our economy does not go through a crisis, I am concerned that young Malaysians have very, very little financial prudence. It is disturbing that the number of bankruptcy cases and financially distressed young adults is on the rise in Malaysia.

Bank Negara’s debt counselling agency, AKPK, has recorded an alarming increase in young people joining its debt management programme. Half-yearly figures show that almost 3,500 Malaysian Gen Ys have sought AKPK’s assistance, compared to about 4,500 people for the whole of 2016.

“On one hand, we welcome these millennials seeking our advice to restructure their personal debt, but the yearly increase in the number of young people who are getting into debt is worrying,” the agency’s corporate communications head Mohamad Khalil Jamaldin told me.

Khalil said that while his agency does provide free financial education classes, he believes that it is important that the young should be taught financial prudence from an early age and especially when they are in university.

I am sure AKPK is doing an excellent job in assisting our millennials, but I wonder if that is the solution. Parents need to play a greater role in educating their children and middle-class parents especially, who seem to be bent on giving their kids everything while not preparing them for tough situations, should stop the hand-outs.

The old adage comes to mind – cut your coat according to your cloth.

The writer, Mr Brian Martin agrees with Dr Madden, that managing money well and ­making sound financial decisions are essential life skills that must be learned over a lifetime, to ensure financial fitness in the future.

Source: The Star Online | 14 July 2017

SUMBER data Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) pada 2015, 2016 dan 2017 menunjukkan terdapat trend permohonan pinjaman menjelang Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Antara jenis pinjaman dalam indikasi trend tersebut adalah pinjaman pembelian kereta, kad kredit dan pinjaman peribadi.

Sebanyak RM71,511.3 juta permohonan direkodkan bagi tahun 2015 dan RM66,078.2 juta pada 2016. Bagi 2017, pada bulan April sahaja permohonan pinjaman berjumlah RM22,520.4 juta direkodkan.

Walau bagaimanapun, permohonan yang diluluskan pada 2015 adalah sebanyak RM21,285.2 juta atau 30 peratus, sementara pada 2016, sebanyak RM28,519.5 juta atau 42 peratus diluluskan. Bagi April 2017, sebanyak 36 peratus permohonan bernilai RM8,208 juta diluluskan.

Berdasarkan analisis tersebut, Pengurus Besar Operasi Agensi Kaunseling dan Pengurusan Kredit (AKPK), Noor Fazleen Zakaria memberitahu, tidak dinafikan wujud individu yang boros berbelanja untuk menyambut hari raya.

Beliau berkata, segelintir masyarakat masih gagal merancang perbelanjaan dan lebih membimbangkan adalah belanja selepas raya.

“Berbelanja melebihi keperluan menyebabkan ramai boros dan apabila perbelanjaan melebihi bajet, maka wujud keinginan untuk membuat pinjaman.

“Paling membimbangkan adalah mereka yang membuat pinjaman untuk membeli kereta sempena Aidilfitri, sedangkan tidak ada keperluan untuk berbuat demikian.

“Orang ramai kena sedar, 25 peratus daripada kes muflis disebabkan sewa beli termasuk beli kereta,” katanya kepada Utusan Malaysia Sabtu.

Tambah Noor Fazleen lagi, orang ramai yang menerima gaji lebih awal dan mendapat pendahuluan seperti pinjaman daripada majikan perlu bijak berbelanja.

“Sebagai contoh, kakitangan kerajaan yang menerima gaji lebih awal daripada biasa perlu bijak mengurus kewangan mereka.

“Lebih selamat apabila mereka mengutamakan komitmen bulanan terlebih dahulu seperti bil utiliti, ansuran rumah serta kenderaan dan pinjaman lain.

“Jika terlebih berbelanja untuk persiapan raya, kelak lepas raya nanti, hendak beli makanan pun tak ada duit. Jadi, berhati-hati dan ukur baju di badan sendiri,” nasihatnya.

Sumber: Utusan Online | 17 Jun 2017

KUALA LUMPUR 9 Jun – Le­bih 580,109 orang yang me­ngalami pelbagai masalah kewangan telah dibantu Agensi Kaunseling dan Pe­ngurusan Kredit (AKPK) sejak ditubuhkan pada 2006. Ketua Pegawai Ekseku­tifnya, Azzaddin Ngah Tasir berkata, mereka di­bantu dengan diberikan kaunseling untuk membuat keputusan kewangan secara bijak melalui inisiatif pendidikan kewangan yang komprehensif. “Daripada jumlah tersebut, sebanyak 185,304 orang dibantu menguruskan kewangan mereka di bawah Program Pengurusan Kredit (PPK). “Sehingga 31 April lalu, terdapat sebanyak 13,794 kes PPK dengan jumlah ke­seluruhan bernilai RM561 juta,” katanya selepas Majlis Berbuka Puasa AKPK bersama petugas media di sini, hari ini.

Majlis dengan kerjasama RTM untuk rakaman program X-Presi Raya 2017 dan Raudah Khas Raya itu, menampilkan penceramah terkenal, Datuk Mohd. Kazim Alias. Yang hadir sama, Penolong Gabenor Bank Negara, Abu Hassan Al Shari Yahaya. Azzaddin berkata, antara faktor yang menyumbangkan kepada masalah hutang dan tidak membayar balik pinjaman adalah pengurusan kewangan lemah, tiada pengetahuan merancang ke­wangan dan tidak hidup mengikut kemampuan ke­rana tahap disiplin rendah. “Terdapat juga kes berlaku akibat faktor luar jangkaan seperti masalah kesihatan, kematian pencari nafkah, kehilangan pekerjaan dan kegagalan perniagaan,” katanya. Beliau berkata, antara bantuan disediakan oleh AKPK menstruktur semula pinjaman perumahan, kenderaan, pinjaman peribadi atau baki tertunggak kad kredit yang diperoleh daripada penyedia kewangan di bawah kawalan Bank Negara Malaysia.

Sumber : Utusan Online | 10 Jun 2017

SHAH ALAM: SME Corp Malaysia menyasarkan 12,000 usahawan belia dilatih sehingga tahun 2020 melalui Program Tunas Usahawan Belia Bumiputera (TUBE).
Tahun ini, penganjuran TUBE akan diteruskan dengan edisi pertama TUBE Mega yang akan membabitkan penyertaan 1,000 belia Bumiputera, berbanding 500 peserta sebelum ini.

TUBE Mega tahun ini akan membabitkan penjenamaan bersama SME Corp Malaysia dan TERAJU, yang mana pelaksanaan program itu sejajar dengan salah satu inisiatif di bawah Transformasi Ekonomi Bumiputera (BETR) 2.0 yang dilaksanakan oleh TERAJU. Ia sekali gus menyokong inisiatif Transformasi Kesejahteraan Bumiputera (TKB) yang diumumkan oleh Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, baru-baru ini.
Program TUBE Mega dilancarkan secara rasmi oleh Timbalan Menteri Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri, Datuk Ahmad Haji Maslan, di Dataran SACC Mall, di sini bersempena Minggu PKS 2017 peringkat Selangor.

Pembabitan Pelbagai Pihak
Program itu dilaksanakan oleh SME Corp dengan kerjasama Kementerian Pendidikan Tinggi, Kementerian Belia dan Sukan, Kementerian Pertanian Malaysia, Kementerian Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat, Kementerian Kemajuan Luar Bandar dan Wilayah, Unit Perancang Ekonomi (UPE) dan TERAJU di bawah JPM. Ia juga membabitkan Jabatan Latihan Khidmat Negara, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia melalui UKM-CESMED, Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia (SSM), Credit Guarantee Corporation (CGC), Kumpulan SME Bank, Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) dan Jabatan Pembangunan Wanita.

Turut serta, Permodalan Usahawan Nasional Berhad, Telekom Malaysia Berhad, Persatuan Usahawan Generasi Muda Berjaya Malaysia, Majlis Belia Malaysia, 9TERAJU Malaysia Exclusive, Syarikat ABX Express Sdn Bhd dan Maybank sebagai Bank Rasmi Program TUBE Mega.

TUBE Mega tahun ini juga bakal menyaksikan penyertaan dua rakan strategik baharu iaitu Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) dan Agensi Kaunseling dan Pengurusan Kredit (AKPK) yang berfungsi di dalam menyumbang kepada kejayaan pelaksanaan program ini.

Pembabitan MDEC dilihat dapat meningkatkan kesedaran dan kemahiran perniagaan atas talian (online) oleh TUBErs sedia ada dan baharu. Melalui kerjasama itu juga, pemohon yang tidak terpilih untuk mengikuti Program TUBE akan diberi peluang untuk mengikuti Program E-Usahawan yang dikendalikan oleh MDEC. Agensi Kaunseling dan Pengurusan Kredit (AKPK) selaku Agensi di bawah Bank Negara turut bekerjasama dengan SME Corp dalam memberikan bimbingan dan khidmat nasihat mengenai kaedah pengurusan kewangan yang cekap dan berkesan serta membantu usahawan supaya ''cekap wang'' di samping memantapkan pengurusan kewangan sedia ada.

- Berita Harian | 24 Mei 2017

KUALA LUMPUR: iMoney, a financial comparison website, is of the opinion that Malaysia has been making great strides in reducing inequality in the country and this can be seen in the country’s GINI-coefficient, which fell from 0.46 in 2002 to 0.401 in 2014.

iMoney co-founder and group CEO Lee Ching Wei further said, in the same period, average monthly household income also grew from RM3,011 to RM6,141.

On the back of the recently-announced gross domestic product (GDP) first quarter results by Bank Negara Malaysia, Lee welcomed the government and Bank Negara’s move in continuing their effort to address income disparity and financial literacy in the country.

"The gap in income equality becomes smaller when the average household income of the bottom 40% grew considerably faster than for the top 20% between 2012 and 2014.

"However, despite the data, those in the bottom 40% group are still deemed acutely and increasingly in need of assistance. This is shown in the increased of BR1M over the years and other housing benefits provided by the government," he told NST Business yesterday when asked to comment on the gross domestic product (GDP) first quarter announcement by Bank Negara Malaysia yesterday.

Lee further said on top of the handouts and financial assistance, a longer-term solution to tackle income inequality would be to improve financial literacy among those in the middle 40% and bottom 40%.

"This can be done by encouraging the people to attend courses or education campaigns done by the Credit Counselling and Debt Management Agency or Securities Commission. The education can also be done through different platforms to send the message to different segments of the society, especially through the Internet."

Further, Lee pointed out that financial education should include not just basic saving tips, but also on how to grow one’s funds through legitimate investment products.

Financial education, especially on investment, will also reduce the number of people falling for get-rich-quick schemes.

"Our recent Millennial Survey found that those in the lower income group (earning below RM1,500) spend close to half of their income on food, and if we break it down to the monetary value, it is close to the amount that those in the high income group are spending.

"Efforts should be put into making financial education and planning a breeze. This can be done by attracting more players in the fintech industry, and offering more assistance to the private sector to encourage innovation in the industry," he said.

iMoney also lauded the various programmes and schemes launched by the government to address the issue of housing affordability in the past few years.

However, on top of the 110% loan to those who are unable to save to purchase their first home, or launching rent-to-own schemes for those who are unable to secure a mortgage, financial education on property ownership should be the core of all these implementations.

"Without proper management of your debts, property ownership will not be a sustainable goal because it is a long-term financial commitment. Without proper planning, one wrong financial move may result in you losing your home," he added.

Lee said there are many quick wins implemented over the years but the core of the issue is the lack of financial understanding among Malaysians.

This would be the best way to close the income gap, he said.

- NST | 23 May 2017

KUALA LUMPUR 20 April -
Jabatan Akauntan Negara telah melaksanakan sekatan bayaran potongan gaji penjawat awam sehingga maksimum 60 peratus daripada jumlah gaji kasar bagi menangani masalah keberhutangan penjawat awam bermula bulan ini.

Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said berkata, langkah itu dilaksanakan menggunakan sistem gaji berkomputer jabatan berkenaan setelah mengambil kira potongan-potongan yang dibenarkan Ketua Jabatan.

“Langkah ini diharap dapat membantu penjawat awam dalam menguruskan hal ehwal kewangan peribadi dengan lebih teratur dan mengelakkan mereka terjerumus dalam masalah hutang yang serius.

“Di samping itu, kerajaan turut mengadakan program usaha sama dengan Agensi Kaunseling dan Pengurusan Kredit (AKPK) bagi membantu penjawat awam menguruskan kewangan masing-masing,” katanya.

Beliau menjawab soalan Senator Datuk Mustapha Kamal Mohd. Yusooff mengenai usaha kerajaan memastikan penjawat awam di semua sektor tidak terbeban dengan hutang ketika sesi soal jawab dalam sidang Dewan Negara, hari ini.

- UTUSAN ONLINE