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Image credit: Utusan Borneo Online

KOTA KINABALU (Mar 11): The Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives and the Sabah Ministry of Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship (MIDE) continue to strengthen their collaboration in coordinating entrepreneurship development in the state.

To this end, the State Entrepreneurship Development Coordination Committee (JPPKNS) Meeting No. 1/2025 was held on Tuesday at Shangri-La Tanjung Aru.

The meeting was co-chaired by Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick and Industrial and Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Datuk Phoong Jin Zhe.

The meeting discussed various issues related to entrepreneurship and initiatives that can be implemented to empower entrepreneurs in Sabah.

Also present were the Assistant Minister of Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Sabah, Datuk Andi Muhammad Suryady Bandy; MIDE Permanent Secretary Datuk Thomas Logijin; secretary of the Cooperative Development, Hawkers and Small Traders Division of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry, Azizul Alias; and agencies from both state and federal ministries.

A total of six papers were presented at the meeting, covering financing schemes from SME Corp Malaysia, the SME-UP Assistance Program by the Sabah Department of Industrial Development and Research (DIDR), Yayasan Hasanah, e-License: Online Business Licensing Portal by the Sabah State Public Service Department (JPANS), and a briefing on a proposed trade sales empowerment stimulus for Sabah MSMEs to Peninsular Malaysia via TikTok Shop.

Ewon said that the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry is committed and will continue to collaborate with the state government through the implementation of entrepreneurship and cooperative programs under the ministry and its agencies.

“This year, the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry will collaborate with the state government through MIDE Sabah to implement the Madani Rakyat Program (PMR), which will be held in Tawau from May 9 to 11,” he said.

He added that throughout the past year, the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry has provided financing amounting to RM813.4 million to 53,395 entrepreneurs and cooperatives in Sabah through its agencies, namely Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM), TEKUN Nasional, Bank Rakyat, SME Bank, SME Corp, Pernas and the Malaysia Cooperative Commission (SKM).

Additionally, he said that the Institut Keusahawanan Negara (INSKEN) has conducted 41 training and entrepreneurship mentoring programs in the state in 2024, benefiting 1,585 entrepreneurs.

“My ministry has also undertaken the construction and upgrading of 59 Tamu Desa project sites across Sabah with an allocation of RM11.78 million,” he said.

According to Ewon, his ministry will implement the Special Ehsan@KUSKOP Program to help eradicate hardcore poverty in Sabah this year.

“For this purpose, efforts have been initiated through Yayasan Bank Rakyat (YBR) to provide educational assistance to school students under the eKasih program, particularly in the districts of Kota Belud, Kota Marudu and Kudat,” he said.

Regarding the Domestic Look East Policy, Ewon said that this policy was introduced to focus on the development of entrepreneurship and cooperatives in Sabah and Sarawak.

“Without compromising the ministry’s existing focus nationwide, my ministry has outlined additional priorities for East Malaysia, particularly in the context of entrepreneurship development.

“Among the new initiatives introduced by my ministry specifically for MSME entrepreneurs in Sabah are the Tamu Desa Premises Project, the Tamu Entrepreneur Financing Scheme, and the Sabah and Sarawak Bumiputera Entrepreneur Grant under the Bumiputera Enterprise Enhancement Program (BEEP) PLUS, as well as the Sabah Government Scholarship for the Malaysian Cooperative Entrepreneurship University (UKKM),” he said.

He added that the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry also launched the National Franchise Policy 2030 (DFN2030) on February 8, 2025, aimed at strengthening the franchise ecosystem in Malaysia and expanding market access both domestically and internationally.

Source: https://www.theborneopost.com/2025/03/11/ewon-phoong-chair-meeting-to-strengthen-entrepreneurship-development/