KUALA LUMPUR: Only a handful out of the 300 Indian students who graduated from the Giat Mara centres and National Entrepreneurship Institute (Insken) applied for business loans under the Young Indian Entrepreneurs Loan Scheme run by the Tekun Foundation.

MIC President Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said only 10 students had applied for the loans from the National Foundation for Economic Fund Group (Tekun) under the Ministry of Entrepreneurs and Cooperatives Development.

“The remaining 290 students should also make use of the opportunity to apply for loans to branch out in business,” he said.

Samy Vellu said Yayasan Tekun has allocated RM3 million to be given out as business loans for graduates of Pusat Giat Mara and Insken.

He said the Tekun Foundation decided to give out business following discussions between the foundation and the Social Strategic Foundation (YSS),MIC’s social arm, last year.

He said although the Tekun Foundation was meant for bumiputra entrepreneurs, its management decided to open its business loans for Indians through the help of the then minister Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz.

Samy Vellu said qualified Indians in small and medium businesses could apply for the loans to start or expand their industries and businesses

Tekun entrepeneurs range from those who operate small cottage industries to modern technological industries, food, agriculture, manufacturing, handicrafts, for domestic as well as for exports, and many types of services.

Further information on the loan scheme can be obtained from :

YSS
Level 5,
Menara Manickavasagam,
No. 1, Jalan Rahmat,
50350 Kuala Lumpur

contact YSS
Tel: 03-4041 5958
Fax: 03-40415681.