KUALA LUMPUR, May 13 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has directed ministries to hold engagement sessions with hawkers to better understand the challenges contributing to the low participation rate among the group in formal financial assistance programmes.
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the directive was issued at today’s Cabinet meeting following findings from a study and survey conducted by the Khazanah Research Institute (KRI), which showed that only 5 per cent of hawkers had received aid from institutions such as Bank Simpanan Nasional, TEKUN Nasional, and Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia.
Fahmi, who is also Madani Government spokesperson, said the report identified several key factors, including the unregistered status of many hawkers’ businesses, which has limited their access to formal financing and government assistance schemes.
“The prime minister has asked relevant ministries to carry out engagement sessions, including directly with the hawkers themselves, to better understand the issues and constraints they face.
“This is important to ensure formal financial assistance can be expanded and effectively channelled to the group,” he told a press conference at Angkasapuri here today.
In another development, Fahmi said the Cabinet also took note of the launch of the Madani Mediation Centre, an initiative under the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Department (BHEUU).
He said the centre would provide pro bono, or free, commercial mediation services involving disputes valued below RM250,000.
“At present, there are more than 170 qualified mediators available to handle issues requiring mediation,” he said.
Fahmi added that the mediation centre would be launched in the capital on May 18.
