PENAMPANG: The Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives hopes special programmes for Sabah and Sarawak will continue under the 13th Malaysia Plan.
Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick cited the Bumiputera Entrepreneur Grant for Sabah and Sarawak and the Premises Development Programme as initiatives that have benefited local entrepreneurs.
He stated that while Sabah and Sarawak receive additional focus, his ministry and its agencies continue to support entrepreneurs across the entire nation.
“Given the significant challenges faced in Sabah and Sarawak, the ministry introduced these initiatives to help their entrepreneurs compete locally and internationally,“ he told reporters after the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Hub Open Day.
The Penampang MP confirmed that BEEP Plus has received an encouraging response from entrepreneurs.
He revealed that KUSKOP has requested a larger allocation under the 13th Malaysia Plan to fund the BEEP Plus programme.
Ewon highlighted that more than one million registered MSMEs nationwide contributed RM652.4 billion to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
He noted that MSME exports contributed RM196.8 billion to the national economy.
Since its 2023 launch, BEEP Plus has benefited 197 Bumiputera-owned micro enterprises in Sabah and Sarawak.
This includes 138 companies specifically from Sabah receiving grants totalling RM11.48 million.
Ewon added that MSMEs have created nearly 8.1 million jobs for Malaysians nationwide.
KUSKOP will organise SME Venture@ASEAN from October 16 to 18 at MITEC in Kuala Lumpur.
This trade exhibition will serve as a regional platform to help Malaysian MSMEs expand into ASEAN markets.
The event will focus on high-impact sectors including electrical and electronics, aerospace, and oil and gas.
Other key sectors include biotechnology, medical devices, halal technology, smart agriculture, green economy and mobility.
“I invite everyone to attend, support local products, and join in advancing the internationalisation of Malaysian MSMEs,“ he said. – Bernama