MIRI, June 30 ― Mobile banking is a welcome relief for people in the rural areas of Sarawak needing banking services who have been constrained by travel restrictions due to the Covid-19 movement control order (MCO).

This move will spare the rural population the hassle and save time and expenses of going to town for banking needs, plus the need to get police permit for inter-district travel, Assistant Minister of Local Government and Housing Datu Penguang Manggil has said.

"It will be a great relief to the locals especially during this pressing time where movement is very restricted by the MCO as well as the need to comply with the SOPs (standard operating procedures),” he added.

The Marudi assemblyman informed that the government had agreed on this initiative, and in the case of Baram parliamentary constituency, the mobile banking service will cover Mulu, Telang Usan and Marudi state constituencies and other areas to serve those from the longhouses and settlements.

He said this in response to the announcement on June 28 by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on the Economic Recovery Package (Pemulih) worth RM150 billion for economic recovery and continuing the fight against Covid-19 in the country.

The package includes catering for the banking needs of rural areas in Malaysia.

Muhyiddin said to focus on continuing the people’s welfare agenda, the government will until the end of this year channel direct cash assistance to the people amounting to RM10 billion.

Earlier, the Prime Minister said mobile banking services were launched in Sarawak this month and Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) would start the facility in Sabah in July to make it easier for more people to access mobile banking services.

Under the scheme, he added, the government would offer an allocation of RM18 million for local banks to provide about 30 units of mobile banks in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, covering 250 rural areas and mukims.

Through this initiative, the people could access various banking services, including opening accounts; depositing; withdrawal and transfer of money; bill payments and digital banking.

Various government aid programmes by the state and federal government hav been farmed out through banks to cope with the economic fallout arising from Covd-19 containment measures such as movement control order and economic sector shutdowns since 2020.

Previous aid including Prihatin package forced recipients in areas to spend out of their pockets to collect the money in urban centres as the SOPs by the Ministry of Health included travel restrictions, and social distancing drives up costs in transportation, food, accommodation and is time-consuming.

Long lines of people spilling into streets was a common daily sight previously as those without any bank account had to turn up personally with their approval letters and supporting documents to collect the government aid at the designated bank. ― Borneo Post