PRIME Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob today called on all banks not to take legal action against hawkers and petty traders who failed to repay their loans.

Instead, he said, the banks should emulate the initiative taken by the financial institutions under the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives such as Bank Rakyat and SME Bank not to take any legal action against the group if they failed to make repayments until next June.

He said other financial institutions under the government such as Bank Simpanan Nasional and Bank Pembangunan are also asked to make a reasonable judgment on this matter as the micro traders are also badly affected and burdened by the Covid-19 epidemic.

“I hope other banks can emulate the action taken by the banks and financial institutions under the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives,” he said when launching 2021 Keluarga Malaysia Hawkers and Petty Traders Day and the Night market Transformation Programme in Putrajaya today.

The two programmes are aimed at helping hawkers and petty traders to revive their businesses after two years of struggling with the epidemic. – Bernama, December 3, 2021.