In touch with relief agencies to extend assistance to other victims
Maybank today announced that it will offer a six-month moratorium on a case-to-case basis for monthly instalment payments of loans, as well as waiver of certain charges for customers affected by the floods in the various States in Malaysia. The moratorium is effective December 2013.
Announcing this today, Maybank Group President & CEO, Datuk Abdul Farid Alias said, “We feel for those affected by the floods and understand that they will have many other concerns at this time. Hence, we hope that the moratorium we are offering our customers will ease any additional anxieties over financial commitments they have during this difficult period.”
The moratorium covers deferment of monthly instalments based on a case-to-case basis for customers with consumer and business banking loans for up to 6 months. It also includes waiver of charges for affected customers seeking replacement of ATM cards, cheque books and passbooks which have been destroyed in the floods.
Maybank, he said, will also consider requests from affected credit card customers for waivers of late/finance charges and applications to increase their credit limit during this period. Etiqa, the Group’s insurance arm will expedite claims processes as well as help ease any financial hardship during the flood by providing policyholders with dedicated Flood Claims Assist Hotlines.
Datuk Farid also added that the Group has got in touch with relief agencies to ascertain how else it can assist the flood victims, particularly those in relief centres in the four affected States.
“For a start, Etiqa has already distributed 'panic bags' to the residents of 13 villages in Kemaman. These bags are specially produced to help protect important documents such as birth certificates, passports and insurance policies during flood,” he said. “It is also working with Majlis Perbandaran Kuantan, to purchase and distribute basic necessities such as food and water to the victims in the relief centers.”
Datuk Farid said that the Group has already provided emergency monetary assistance to 136 affected staff. Of this, 33 staff and their families have also been provided alternative accommodation and meals.
“As part of our Group’s mission to humanise financial services, we intend to mobilise Maybankers to provide voluntary assistance to the communities affected by the flood as soon as possible.”
Customers can call the Bank’s hotline at Tel 1 300 88 6688 for further information or visit their home branches to apply for the moratorium. The Etiqa Flood Claims Assist Hotlines can be reached at 03-42705068 (East Coast /Southern/ East Malaysia regions) and 03-79890311 / 03-79890310 (Northern/Central regions).
Maybank Group had in the past offered similar disaster relief programmes to customers during previous flood incidents that occurred in January and December 2007, November 2010, January 2012 as well as the landslide in Bukit Antarabangsa in December 2008.