(Updated on 14 January 2021.)

With several states across the nation – particularly those along the east coast of Malaysia – currently facing a massive flood disaster, several local banks have reached out to provide some form of financial relief for the victims. The help came in the form of both donations as well as financial relief programmes for affected customers.

Here’s a list of the financial support that flood victims can tap into:

Affin Bank

Affin Bank customers who are affected by the ongoing floods can tap into a six-month moratorium offered by the bank, allowing them to temporarily defer their loan instalments. Interested individuals, SMEs, and corporate customers can apply for the aid under the bank’s Financial Assistance and Instalment Relief (F.A.I.R.) programme.

In its statement, Affin Bank also urged customers who are in need to contact the bank to check their eligibility for the moratorium. They can either call the bank at 03-8230 2222, visit the nearest branch, or send an email to [email protected].

Aside from the moratorium offer, Affin Bank will also contribute RM500,000 to various humanitarian and medical-related initiatives to support the flood victims.

Alliance Bank

Alliance Bank has announced a Flood Relief Assistance programme for its customers living in flood-affected areas. Applicable to all conventional loans and Islamic financing facilities, the programme provides assistance in the form of a loan moratorium of up to six months and loan repayment modifications. It also offers waivers of fees and charges for selected services, such as the replacement of debit cards, ATM cards, cheque books, and passbooks lost or damaged during the flood.

Those in need of help can apply for these aids from Alliance Bank by calling its contact centre at 03-5516 9988 or any relationship managers directly. The bank also noted that all requests for assistance will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, with hopes of providing each customer with a relief package that meets their specific needs.

Bank Islam

Bank Islam has launched the Prihatin Programme, providing a moratorium of up to six months for its customers’ monthly commitments, including home financing, personal financing, and vehicle financing. This is provided the customers meet certain conditions, such as not having outstanding financing records.

Those who wish to find out more about the Prihatin Programme may contact the bank’s call centre at 03-2690 0900. Meanwhile, applications for the moratorium under the Prihatin Programme can be made at the nearest Bank Islam branch.

Aside from the moratorium, Bank Islam is also channelling funds amounting to RM400,000 from its Islamic crowdfunding platform, Sadaqa House, to provide support to the victims. The bank will also contribute RM100,000 from the total fund to Yayasan Al-Sultan Abdullah, which is assisting those who are currently housed in temporary evacuation centres. The funds will be used to provide direct assistance such as the provision of food and drinks, medicines, essential equipment for the evacuees, and post-flood cleaning tools.

Bank Muamalat

Bank Muamalat is also offering a moratorium payment period (MPP) of up to six months for eligible customers affected by the floods, starting from today until 28 February. The aid will be applicable for all financing facilities provided to individuals and businesses, although approval will be granted on a case-by-case basis.

Customers who wish to apply for this assistance will need to provide relevant documentary evidence, including photos and verification from local authorities. The bank also clarified that customers who are already tapping into other payment assistance programmes – namely the targeted payment assistance or enhanced targeted payment assistance – are also eligible to apply for this latest MPP. The MPP will supersede the existing programmes.

For further information, customers can contact the bank’s customer service at 03-2600 5500.

Bank Rakyat

Bank Rakyat has allocated RM500,000 in special assistance for the flood victims in the country, used to provide basic necessities and medicines for the victims in affected areas. It is expected to benefit more than 20,000 flood victims from over 6,000 families in Pahang, Terengganu, Kelantan, Johor, Selangor, and Perak – with hopes that they can go on with their daily activities as usual.

Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN)

Eligible BSN customers who are affected by the floods can also tap into the bank’s Bantuan Banjir programme, which entails the deferment of financing instalments for up to six months. The bank will process and evaluate each request according to their respective circumstances.

Customers who would like to apply will need to email to [email protected] with the following details:

• Name
• IC number
• Telephone number
• Type of financing
• Financing reference number (if available)
• Location of home/workplace/business premise (for Micro customers only)

Alternatively, you can call the bank’s contact centre at 1-300-88-1900 for further information.

CIMB

CIMB has announced that it will be providing a six-month payment relief for eligible customers who have been impacted by the floods. It is applicable for all home, business premises financing, and ASB financing for affected individuals, as well as SME financing for affected local businesses. This is on top of the rescheduling and restructuring assistance that the bank will also be offering for auto financing, personal financing (Express Cash, Cash Plus-i, and Cash Plus Loan), and credit card financing.

Additionally, the bank is waiving charges for credit and debit card replacements, statement requests, or the replacement of damaged passbooks and bankers’ cheques for eligible customers. Affected SME customers, too, will be exempted from paying late charges and fees that are imposed by the bank for three months.

Aside from the financial relief, CIMB will further contribute RM300,000 through its corporate responsibility (CSR) arm, CIMB Foundation, to provide on-ground support for flood victims and post-recovery help. The fund will be provided to agencies such as Mercy Malaysia and the Malaysian Red Crescent Society to meet the needs of the flood victims.

Hong Leong Bank

Hong Leong customers (individual and SMEs) who are affected by the flood can now apply for a six-month deferment for their loan and financing payments. On top of that, they are also allowed to replace debit and credit cards, as well as cheque books that were damaged during the floods for free.

Interested parties can apply for the payment deferment assistance by contacting Hong Leong’s flood relief assistance line at 03-7959 1888 or visiting the nearest branch. Alternatively, you can email the bank at [email protected], or apply online on Hong Leong’s official website. Note that you’ll be required to submit a photo of your flood situation along with your application for verification purposes.

Meanwhile, those looking to replace their damaged cards and cheque books can call Hong Leong’s contact centre at 03-7626 8899 or visit a bank branch.

In its statement, Hong Leong also encouraged its corporate and business customers to contact their relationship managers for more information and assistance.

Maybank

Maybank is also offering a flood relief assistance programme to help ease the financial burden of its customers who are affected by the floods. According to the bank, this programme will offer help in the form of loan deferments, reduction in monthly instalments, or extension of repayment tenure.

In its statement, Maybank further informed interested applicants that their loans should not be in arrears for more than 90 days at the point of application. All applications will also be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. To apply, Maybank customers can send an email to [email protected], with the following details:

Individual customers	SME/Companies
– Name of individual – IC number – Contact number – Type of loan/product (e.g. mortgage, hire purchase, term loan financing) – Vehicle number (for hire purchase loans) – Address of affected properties	– Name of individual – Company name – Business registration number – Contact number – Type of loan/product (e.g. mortgage, hire purchase, term loan financing) – Vehicle number (for hire purchase loans) – Address of affected properties

In addition to the flood relief assistance programme, Maybank is also waiving the fees and charges for selected services, such as the replacement of debit cards, ATM cards, and cheque books lost or damaged during the floods. The bank’s credit cardholders can also tap into a waiver of late charges.

For more information and further assistance, customers can contact Maybank’s customer care hotline at 1300-88-6688. Alternatively, you can visit any of Maybank’s branches, SME Centres, Business Banking Centres, or Auto Finance Centres nationwide.

OCBC

OCBC has contributed RM100,000 to Mercy Malaysia as part of its efforts to help Malaysians who were affected by the floods in Terengganu, Johor, Pahang, Perak, and Kelantan. The funds will be used for the provision of immediate on-ground necessities, such as hygiene kits, ready-to-eat food, as well as medicine and medical equipment.

Public Bank

Public Bank is also offering a payment deferment of up to 6 months for customers who are affected by the flood, with the intention of alleviating their financial burden during this time of distress. The programme is applicable to retail loans and financing for individuals and businesses/SMEs, excluding hire purchase loans.

Taking place from 11 January until 30 June, customers must meet the following two criteria to be eligible for the aid:

• Individual or business is not bankrupt
• Collateral/residential/employment address is in the flood district as declared by Agensi Pengurusan Bencana Negara (NADMA)

If you qualify and would like to apply for this aid, you need to do so manually by printing the application form from Public Bank’s website, and then completing and submitting it to the nearest branch or credit control centre. The bank also noted that it will take approximately five calendar days to revert to their customers.

To find out more or to get further assistance with regard to your application, you can contact Public Bank’s helpdesk lines.

RHB

Like many other banks, RHB is also ready to provide financial assistance to its customers who are affected by floods through its Flood Relief Assistance programme. Eligible customers will be able to tap into relief measures such as payment deferments and waivers of various fees.

In particular, customers with housing and ASB loans will be able to apply for a deferment of loan instalment payments and waiver of late payment charges of up to 6 months. Meanwhile, those with personal financing, auto financing, and easy loans can get similar assistance for up to 3 months.

On top of that, customers can also request for waiver on late payment charges for credit cards for up to three months. A separate waiver of card replacement fees for ATM, debit, and credit cards is also available.

Businesses and SMEs are also welcome to apply, and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

RHB further said that applications can be made starting from 13 January onwards. For more information, you can visit the nearest RHB branch or call the bank’s customer contact centre at 03-92068118.

***

For context, several states within Malaysia have been hit by floods following a continuous downpour that was brought on by the onset of the winter monsoon at the start of 2021. The east coast of Malaysia is particularly affected, with Pahang being the worst hit. It saw approximately 27,000 people evacuated as of 9 January. This is out of a total of more than 50,000 victims who were forced to leave their homes due to the disaster.

Hopefully, these financial aids from the banks will offer a measure of relief to the flood victims during this time of crisis. In the meantime, do stay safe!

• TAGS:
• Affin Bank
• Alliance Bank
• Bank Islam
• Bank Loan Moratorium
• Bank Muamalat
• Bank Rakyat
• Bank Simpanan Nasional
• Bantuan Banjir
• CIMB
• Flood Relief Assistance Programmes
• Floods
• Hong Leong
• Loan Deferment
• Maybank
• Moratorium
• OCBC
• Payment Deferment
• Prihatin Programme
• Public Bank
• RHB