From left: Mohamad Nasir, Aw and Chandra.
GEORGE TOWN: At a glance, the news that Bank Pembangunan Malaysia would provide RM6.4bil to support sectors such as tourism got Mohamad Nasir Mohd excited as he owns an eco-resort.
But he soon turned ambivalent.
“As soon as I visit the banks, they request business plans, financial forecasts, marketing plans, and various other documents that I am unfamiliar with.
“I did it before, and I gave up. I am a rural person. My family and I created a successful eco-resort, but when the banks want all kinds of paperwork, we don’t know how to move on to the next level,” he said.
Beyond the allocated funding, Mohamad Nasir, 58, said it was crucial for the government to help rural entrepreneurs take that big step.
He has been running an eco-resort on his own land beside Beris Lake in Sik, Kedah, since 2010.
“I have anglers from Russia, Australia and China staying at my resort for days because they want to catch the Giant Toman fish in the lake.”
The funds that were announced in Budget 2025 could help people like him make their businesses even more appealing, he said.
“But we hope the government and Bank Pembangunan can institute some kind of consultative assistance for entrepreneurs like us,” he said.
Budget 2025, which was unveiled on Friday, stated that Bank Pembangunan would prepare RM6.4bil to fund sectors such as digitalisation, tourism, logistics, transport and renewable energy.
It was also announced that the Communications and Multimedia Commission will receive RM100mil over five years to strengthen the National Information Dissemination Centre, which will serve as a community platform for Malaysians looking to increase their income through online entrepreneurial activities.
This was exciting news for Thomas Aw, 33, who has been running an online retail business selling outdoor gear for over 10 years.
“The online retailing world evolves constantly, with new business models and technologies popping up every few months,” he said.
“If Malaysian online entrepreneurs can get access to open info-sharing, I foresee we can grow together on a global scale quickly,” he added.
But a senior manager in condominium management was of the view that this year’s budget had few goodies for M40 wage earners.
P. Chandra, 45, said while Budget 2025 would have a positive effect on society and the economy, it also holds unfavourable news for some Malaysians.
“I feel it’s been like this for most years – a lot of focus on the economy and on helping the B40, but little relief for the M40, who are usually the ones paying taxes regularly,” he said.
