By: Rosli Mansor Ahmad Razali
TAMBUN: The MADANI government continues to intensify its poverty eradication agenda today, as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim launched the PADURI MADANI Scheme under Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM), involving an allocation of RM230 million to produce 29,000 new women entrepreneurs from the B40 group.
The high-impact programme was launched at the Bandar Baru Tambun Multipurpose Hall here, and is among the key initiatives aimed at strengthening women’s economic empowerment nationwide.
Also present at the launch were Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, Treasury Secretary-General Datuk Johan Mahmood Merican, as well as AIM’s board members and senior management.
Announced under Budget 2026, the scheme is open to Malaysian women aged 18 and above with a household income not exceeding RM5,880 or a per capita income below RM1,470.
Notably, the scheme also extends eligibility to individuals who have been blacklisted or declared bankrupt, in line with AIM’s objective of lifting families out of poverty.
No guarantor or collateral is required, making the scheme more inclusive and accessible to target groups.
The PADURI MADANI Scheme targets seven main groups, including Malay, Chinese, Indian, Bumiputera Sabah and Sarawak, Orang Asli, and Siamese women, as well as B40 women in both urban and rural areas.
In terms of financing, participants may apply for funding starting from RM3,000 for first-time applicants up to RM30,000 under economic categories such as i-Paduri Mesra, i-Paduri Srikandi and i-Paduri Muda.
For social categories, financing of up to RM15,000 is offered under i-Paduri Wibawa, Sejahtera, Bestari and Penyayang.
Anwar said the initiative is in line with the MADANI vision of building a resilient society and ensuring that no group is left behind in the country’s economic development.
At the event, which gathered about 1,000 AIM entrepreneur partners, the Prime Minister also presented the Perak State Outstanding Entrepreneur Awards to three recipients — Sharifah Nurul Shahida Syed Abdul Rahman (Shazam Catering & Food Services), Manjula a/p Subramaniam (Nhavin Enterprise), and Lee Lai Wan (Lee Kam Sing Herbs Tree Enterprise).
He also handed over symbolic RM3,000 PADURI MADANI financing cheques to five new AIM entrepreneurs from the Tambun parliamentary constituency.
In addition to the official launch, a business and product exhibition featuring successful entrepreneur partners from all states was also held.
For the record, AIM, established 39 years ago, has disbursed RM39.1 billion in financing to more than 1.18 million borrowers, benefiting 4.39 million households.
From January to April 2026 alone, AIM recorded strong performance with RM1.07 billion in financing disbursed to 131,105 borrowers, while maintaining a non-performing loan (NPL) rate of 0 percent.
