RHB Bank Offers RM5 million in Loans to help flood victims

Kuala Lumpur, 7th February 2007: RHB Bank Bhd (“RHB Bank”) will offer quick loans on easy repayment terms to help the thousands of victims of the recent floods in Johor, Terengganu, Kelantan and Melaka get back on their feet.

The bank has set aside RM5 million for the purpose under the RHB Flood Relief Personal Financing Programme, which was launched on 5 February 2007, according to its head of Consumer Banking, Mr Michael Lor.

Under this programme, there will be flexible income requirements for applicants to qualify so long as they meet the normal credit criteria for loans.RHB Bank will even waive the processing fee for all applications. To ensure that the victims derive greater benefits from the programme, RHB Bank has increased the amount of loan one can take to 3.5 times of the applicant’s monthly salary. The repayment period has also been stretched to 36 months.

The processing period has also been shortened and applicants need not produce any documentation apart from a personal identification document such as the MyKad, passport or birth certificate and income documents. “All they have to do is fill out the Personal Financing application form and our personnel at the branches will be ready to assist them,” Mr Lor said.

“For the convenience of those who would need such quick and easy financing, the branches that will offer such loans are located closest to the flood-hit areas in the four states,” he said.

The branches that have been selected to offer the loans are in Ulu Tiram, Taman Johor Jaya, Pontian, Kulai, Senai, Taman Tun Aminah, Pasir Gudang, Permas Jaya, Simpang Renggam, JB City Square, Segamat, Bekok, Jementah, Tangkak, Muar, Batu Pahat and Kluang in Johor and Jalan Hang Tuah in Melaka. In the East Coast states of Terengganu and Kelantan, the selected branches are Jalan Kebun Sultan, Ketereh, Pasir Mas, Kuala Terrenganu, Kuala Dungun and Kemaman.

These branches can be easily identified by the special buntings and posters that will be displayed in their premises. In addition, leaflets containing information on the programme and locations of the selected branches will be distributed in the flood-hit areas.

“We know this is a difficult time for the flood victims as they have lost practically everything. This is just our way of reaching out to help them rebuild their homes, ” Mr Lor said.

“With the special rates and a flexible repayment period under the RHB Flood Relief Personal Financing Programme, we hope to ease their burden with special and flexible repayment period,” he added.

He said the bank’s personnel at the selected branches had been briefed and were now under instructions to speed up the approval process to the shortest time possible. “We know how difficult the past two months have been, and we hope that by extending this financial assistance to them quickly, it would go a long way in bringing them some relief. All they have to do is to ensure that they provide all the necessary information in the application forms so that we can speed up the approval process,” he said.

This effort is an extension of the Personal Financing product, which is a personal loan that offers qualified applicants up to RM150,000 cash with long repayment period of up to seven years. It is hassle-free with no guarantor or collateral needed.

For more information or to apply for RHB Personal Financing, call 03-9206 8118 if you are in Peninsular Malaysia or 086-276 118 if you are in Sabah or Sarawak.

Issued by Group Corporate Communications, RHB Capital Bhd, on behalf of RHB Bank Bhd. For more information, please call Yeoh Guan Jin at 012-3835027 or Akmal Baqi at 012-6658704.