With RM1.4 billion allocated for the DisasterRelief Fund, the Government had also included a unique proposition for vechiles owners especially for pick up trucks, vans, cars and motorbikes which were damaged during the recent flooding.
Basically, victims will be given the Baucar Diskoun Automotif Keluarga Malaysia’, a discount voucher of up to RM1,000 which they can use to repair or replace their cars, motorcycles, pickup trucks or vans damaged by floods. To make is simple, they can go to any workshop and redeem the voucher and pay the balance of the cost themselves. This is on top of the discounts offered by manufacturers ranging fro 25%-50% on repair costs, which the Ministry of Finance has struck deals with.
However, its baffling after all these rhetoric of not much assistance is provided for the flood victims, only 4,227 applications have been received for the automotive aid which is must RM5.47 million of claims. Surely there must be more assets that just that figure?
The voucher is not dispersement but prepaid cash in hand for repairs, all they need to do is haul their vehicles to any of the registered workshop which covers majority of the cars and bike models.
Deputy Finance Mohd Shahar Abdullah is looking at more awareness and will be discussing with insurance and takaful companies to increase consumer awareness on insurance coverage for flood disasters. But there seems to be other underlying issue here that needs to be address.
Politicians had taken the flood situation as an agenda for their personal gains, knowing that calls for EPF withdrawal will not be entertained, certain quarters used this hurdle to corner the government. The reluctance to accept assistance including the Automitive Aid stems from what these politicians have advised some of the victims.
Another reason could be since the aid is voucher form and not cash or debited to accounts, many are reluctant on the process or just not clear on who to go about on the claims. Also the communication could have been not passed down to the workshops or mechanics, who could have turned many of them away.
