Rencana berkaitan Pajak Gadai Wangi bertajuk "Pawnshops — the alternative, quick loan providers" disiarkan di akhbar The Borneo Post hari ini (27 Disember 2011). Rencana tersebut boleh dibaca di sini.
---------------------The Borneo Post, Tuesday, 27 December 2011, Page D1
Pawnshops — the alternative, quick loan providers
KUCHING: Pawn broking can be traced to ancient China and has been practised in Malaysia for hundreds of years.
Chinese immigrants here introduced pawnshops as institutions for reinvesting capital from their economic activities. To control the pawning industry, the British enacted pawn broking related ordinances and enactments.
In 1957 there were nine separate pawn broking legislations in the states of Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak. In 1972, the Pawnbrokers Act 1972 was passed, repealing the nine separate legislations and regulating pawnbrokers under one uniform act.
Here’s how a pawn shop in Malaysia operates: Let’s say you need a loan but you can’t fulfil the strict requirements of a bank loan, you could take a valuable item you own to a pawn shop and offer it as collateral. The pawnbroker will then lend you however much he deems your item to be worth.
After six months, you repay the money plus interest per month on the loan and have the item returned to you or you could choose to renew the loan for a further period of not less than 3 months. In compliance with the Pawnbrokers Act 1972, the pawnbroker shall charge no more than two per cent interest per month on the loan.
According to the manager of Pajak Gadai Wangi at Jalan Pending here, pawnshops had always been loan providers willing to make loans other lenders would not. The manager of the pawn shop, who operates one of only two licensed pawnshops here and has over 10 years experience, says that “customers receive the highest loan amount possible based on the items they wish to pawn.”
He added that pawnshops provide small loans, require no credit checks and if the loan can’t be repaid, there are no long-term repercussions.
“Not repaying a bank loan or credit card trashes your credit but not so with pawning.”
To obtain a cash loan customers need only bring along their identification card and collateral, usually gold jewellery. The transaction takes only a few minutes, providing fast cash for those in need.
Many pawnshops in Malaysia deal exclusively with gold, as it is a mainstay for pawnshops. The manager of Pajak Gadai Wangi said this is because gold holds its value well allowing pawnshops to give larger loans when gold is used as collateral.
The Pawnbrokers Act 1972 enforces strict guidelines on pawnbrokers to ensure the safekeeping of gold jewellery and other valuables pawned, so customers need not worry about their belongings once pawned.
According to the manager, Pajak Gadai Wangi stores all its pawned articles are kept in a secure vault that is under surveillance at all times.
The pawn business relies on trust to win customers thus making honesty and integrity important values for every pawnbroker, said the manager of Pajak Gadai Wangi, who added that word of mouth was their best advertisement.
“A happy customer will tell a friend about your business; an unhappy customer will tell 10 friends about your business.”
Pajak Gadai Wangi strives to provide a high level of service to their customers with a comfortable setting, employing a computerised system and most importantly, being a business one can trust.
Pajak Gadai Wangi is located at No. 1, Lot 8229, Jalan Pending (opposite Chung Hua Middle School No 1).
Utusan Borneo 27 December 2011
Pajak Gadai Wangi Dibuka
KUCHING: Pajak Gadai Wangi yang terletak di No.1, Lot 8229, Jalan Pending kini dibuka.
Kedai berhadapan dengan Sekolah Menengah Chung Hua No.1 itu merupakan pajak gadai berlesen.
Pengurusnya, berkata pajak gadai tersebut merupakan satu daripada hanya dua pajak gadai berlesen di bandar raya ini.
"Kami cuba sedaya upaya untuk memberikan pelanggan pinjaman wang selebih mungkin mengikut nilai barangan yang dicagarkan," katanya baru baru ini.
Kedai pajak gadai memberikan pinjaman kecil berbanding bank yang menguruskan amaun yang besar.
Pengurus Pajak Gadai Wangi berkata, memajak tidak melibatkan pemeriksaan kredit dan jika sesuatu pinjaman gagal dibayar, rekod kredit pelanggan tidak akan terjejas.
"Untuk mendapatkan pinjaman di pajak gadai berlesen, pelanggan hanya perlu membawa kad pengenalan dan cagaran, biasanya barang kemas emas," katanya. Malah, pajak gadai tidak mengambil tempoh berhari- hari untuk memberi kelulusan, cuma beberapa minit.
Pajak Gadai Wangi, menurut beliau lagi, berusaha memberi khidmat terbaik kepada para pelanggan. "Setiap pelanggan yang berpuas hati akan memberitahu sepuluh orang tentang perniagaan anda," katanya lagi.
