YAN: Since taking Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM) loan in 2003, traditional cake entrepreneur Nor Aini Mat Ali, 36, has succeeded in diversifying her business activities to the extent of owning a sundry shop.

She now earns more than RM4,000 monthly, a comfortable figure compared to only RM500 previously.

“Life was difficult before. It was not easy to get a bank loan because there was nothing I can use as collateral, but the AIM loan gives me a new hope,” she told Bernama after receiving the AIM Award for the Sungai Limau constituency, presented by Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Tun Dr Mahathir at Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Limau, near here on Friday.

She was among 10 successful entrepreneurs in Sungai Limau who received the award and certificate of recognition from Mukhriz at the ceremony.

Nor Aini said her success story began when she took a loan of RM2,000 from AIM in 2003 to facilitate her traditional cake business and then increased the figure to RM30,000 until she was able to set up a sundry shop and continue her business.

According to AIM chairman Dr Zubir Harun, a total of RM33mil in loans had been disbursed to 2,750 recipients in Yan, including the Sungai Limau constituency, this year compared to RM19mil to 666 people in 2012.

– Bernama