KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 6 — Tesco Stores (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd and Astro are joining hands to empower small and medium enterprises (SMEs) reeling from the effects of Covid-19 pandemic.
Through the Hero Bangkit Contest, the winning entrepreneurs will walk away with a total of RM50,000 Tesco vouchers and Astro Radio airtime packages.
Running from today to Merdeka Eve (August 30), 10 winners will be chosen where apart from Tesco vouchers, they will also get free advertising packages aired over Astro Radio’s terrestrial and digital platforms.
Tesco's customer director Vivian Yap said Malaysians had risen above adversity by starting their home-grown businesses and utilising skills they already have such as cooking, baking, sewing, and even becoming personal shoppers during the pandemic.
“Our Hero Bangkit Contest is designed to recognise and further empower these resilient entrepreneurs who have not just survived but are thriving during these challenging times.
“We believe that Merdeka month is the best time to do this given that it is a month that has been traditionally associated with heroic efforts and these entrepreneurs are heroes in our eyes,” she said in a statement.
Yap added that Tesco believes every little help makes a difference and the contest offers a platform to encourage and support the entrepreneurs.
Astro Media Solutions's vice-president Jeyapuvan Somasundram said while individuals and businesses are facing unprecedented economic disruption in light of the pandemic, it is inspiring to see people and organisations stepping up to help one another.
“Astro swiftly introduced a series of initiatives to support the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) across our TV, radio, digital, and commerce platforms,” he said.
Jeyapuvan added radio remains a reliable source of information to Malaysians, as the recent survey by GfK showed that 97 per cent of radio listeners continued to listen to radio during Movement Control Order, while 80 per cent of listeners trust the information they obtain from their favourite radio presenters.
For further details on the contest, entrepreneurs can visit www.herobangkit.com.my to share how their businesses have been affected by Covid-19, what have they planned to rebuild it and why should they be chosen.
The pitches will then be put up for public voting from August 31 to September 4 and winners will be announced on September 7 through ERA, MY and hlive sites, Astro RIA HD (Ch104) and Astro RIA (Ch124) simultaneously at 8.30pm.
