PUTRAJAYA: The government has introduced a Second Chance Fast Track Policy as an express pathway to expedite the bankruptcy discharge mechanism for four target groups.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said (pic) said the groups are: single parents; microloan entrepreneurs; financial fraud or scam victims; and housing loan borrowers affected by abandoned projects.
She said the policy was introduced to help those in such groups rebuild their lives and continue contributing to national development.
"As a result, single parents can return to work, entrepreneurs can resume their businesses and scam victims can finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"This initiative is not merely a rebranding exercise. It is a government commitment to accelerate justice through an empathetic policy that rescues individuals from an endless cycle of debt so that they can rise again with dignity,” she said at the launch of the programme by the Insolvency Department here on Monday (Feb 16).
Azalina said the discharge programme was founded on a clear principle within the Malaysia Madani Framework, namely care and compassion.
"This reflects the government’s approach of not being perpetually punitive. Madani provides space for the people to rise again and believes that every citizen deserves a second chance.
"The government holds that financial failure is not the end of life. It can become a turning point if our system is fair, efficient and, most importantly, humane,” she said.
Azalina also said that the department successfully resolved 176,851 bankruptcy discharge cases in 2024 and 204,487 last year.
"These are not merely figures, but more than 381,000 people who have been given a new lease of life," she said. – Bernama
