AKPK: Empowering The People Towards Financial Freedom

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 17 (Bernama) -- The Credit Counselling and Debt Management Agency (AKPK) is committed to helping Malaysians achieve financial freedom through three key pillars: financial education, financial advisory, and debt management.

Established in 2006, the agency, which operates under Bank Negara Malaysia, has helped more than 470,000 individuals facing financial difficulties and has provided guidance to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) on financial management since Sept 2020.

Its chief executive officer Azaddin Ngah Tasir said that AKPK has strived to empower the public to help achieve financial well-being by emphasising financial understanding, discipline, and resilience.

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He also expressed pride in AKPK’s participation in the 2024 National Day parade with the theme ‘Financial Freedom’, which is in line with the parade’s theme, 'Jiwa Merdeka'.

“The AKPK contingent, consisting of 107 staff members dressed in all-white outfits with blue butterfly motifs, marched alongside a giant blue origami butterfly structure, a metaphor for the four life stages of a butterfly starting from the egg, caterpillar, then pupa, and finally the adult stage.

“This symbolises the four phases in achieving financial freedom, which the agency frequently stresses, beginning with financial understanding, maintaining financial discipline, and then building financial resilience before eventually enjoying a comfortable retirement,” he said in a statement.

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AKPK also highlighted its vital role in guiding individuals and MSMEs through financial education programmes, enabling them not only to break free from the burden of debt but also to achieve success in their financial management goals.

To this end, AKPK is actively implementing various financial literacy programmes, including collaborative efforts with higher education institutions, government agencies, and private companies.

“This initiative also includes tools like MyBijakNiaga, a basic digital accounting tool to assist MSMEs in digitising their business operations,” he said.

On 'Jiwa Merdeka', Azaddin emphasised that financial freedom is a crucial aspect of achieving overall well-being.

“At AKPK, we urge Malaysians not to hesitate or feel reluctant to seek the free financial advisory services available to everyone. Do not feel embarrassed or ashamed to approach us. We are always ready to assist you in achieving your desired financial freedom,” he said.

-- BERNAMA