KUALA LUMPUR: Nearly 20 automotive companies with a network of more than 1,000 registered service centres nationwide have agreed to participate in the Keluarga Malaysia Automotive Discount Voucher initiative so far, says the Ministry of Finance (MOF).

       Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said vehicle owners do not need to make any application to benefit from the discount voucher.

       "Owners of vehicles damaged by floods can redeem the vouchers at service centres or authorised dealers for the automotive companies involved.

       "The reduction in repair costs will be enjoyed by direct deduction from the total cost of repairs or the cost of replacing new vehicles through invoices that will be issued by service centres and authorised distributors," he said in a statement Friday (Jan 7).

       Tengku Zafrul said the deadline for claiming the Keluarga Malaysia Automotive Discount Voucher initiative is March 31, 2022 and consumers are advised to immediately make a claim from a registered service centre or authorised distributor to avoid any inconvenience.

       He said the government would continue to be committed to ensuring holistic assistance to Keluarga Malaysia with the Keluarga Malaysia Automotive Discount Voucher initiative, especially those affected by the floods so that they can return to normal life as soon as possible.

       "The government welcomes the move by Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua) and Proton Holdings Bhd to offer a 50% discount on the cost of spare parts. Perodua has also offered free repair manual labour.

       "The government encourages other automotive companies to also offer better incentives to its customers," he said.

       The MOF reiterated several provisions and additional measures taken by the government to deal with the flood disaster, including the maximum amount of funding increased from RM500,000 to RM700,000 for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

       Meanwhile, for micro enterprises, the maximum financing amount is increased from RM75,000 to RM150,000, said Tengku Zafrul.

       "The maximum funding period has also been extended from five years to seven years," he said.

       Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had announced that the government would provide comprehensive Keluarga Malaysia Flood Relief to alleviate the burden of those affected by the floods that hit the country.

       Among the assistance is the Disaster Relief Facility (DRF) 2022 to alleviate the burden of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) where the total allocation has been increased from RM200mil to RM500mil.

       The automotive companies involved with the Keluarga Malaysia Automotive Discount Vouchers are Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua); Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Sdn Bhd (Proton); Tan Chong & Sons Motor (Nissan); UMW Toyota Motor; Honda Malaysia; Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia (MMM); Volvo Car Malaysia; TC Euro Cars (Renault); Mercedes-Benz Malaysia; BMW Malaysia; Sime Darby Motor Group (for Ford, Hyundai and others); Mazda, Peugeot and KIA; TC Subaru; Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia; Hong Leong Yamaha Motor Sdn Bhd; Boon Siew Honda Sdn Bhd; Motosikal Dan Enjin Nasional Sdn Bhd (Modenas); Mofaz Motorsikal Sdn Bhd, and KMSB Motors Sdn Bhd (Suzuki). - Bernama