Kuala lumpur: The Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (KUSKOP) is hopeful that special programmes for Sabah and Sarawak will continue under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP). Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick stated that initiatives introduced over the past two years, such as the Bumiputera Entrepreneur Grant for Sabah and Sarawak (BEEP Plus) and the Premises Development (Tamu Desa) Programme, have benefitted local entrepreneurs.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, while Sabah and Sarawak receive additional attention, KUSKOP and its agencies continue to support entrepreneurs nationwide. The minister emphasized the significant challenges faced in these regions and the ministry's efforts to help their entrepreneurs compete both locally and internationally. He shared these insights with reporters after the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Hub Open Day and a networking session with entrepreneurs in Sabah.
Benedick, who also serves as the Penampang MP, noted that BEEP Plus has garnered encouraging responses, prompting KUSKOP to request a larger allocation under RMK13 to further fund it. In his earlier speech, he highlighted that more than one million registered MSMEs nationwide contributed RM652.4 billion to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with RM196.8 billion coming from exports.
Since its launch in 2023, BEEP Plus has benefitted 197 Bumiputera-owned micro enterprises in Sabah and Sarawak, including 138 companies from Sabah, with grants amounting to RM11.48 million. Additionally, MSMEs have created nearly 8.1 million jobs for Malaysians.
Benedick also announced that KUSKOP, through SME Corp. Malaysia, will organise SME Venture@ASEAN from October 16 to 18 at MITEC, Kuala Lumpur. The trade exhibition aims to serve as a regional platform to help Malaysian MSMEs expand into ASEAN markets. The event will focus on sectors such as electrical and electronics, aerospace, oil and gas, biotechnology, medical devices, halal technology, smart agriculture, green economy, and mobility.
He encouraged everyone to attend, support local products, and contribute to the internationalisation of Malaysian MSMEs.