SHAH ALAM, March 3 — International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed today urged Malaysian Small and Medium (SMEs) enterprises to adopt the e-commerce platform to strengthen exports.
The minister said e-commerce is expected to grow at a rate of nearly 20 per cent by 2020 and Malaysia could exceed the target.
“We want to enhance the e-commerce adoption. Our focus is getting SMEs to be on the e-commerce platform as it is almost compulsory for every business to be part of it,” he added.
He told reporters this after officiating Zalora, Asia’s online fashion destination’s new regional e-Fulfillment Hub here today.
The hub covers an area of 470,000 sq ft and is one of the biggest warehouses in the region.
It plays a crucial role in fulfilling thousands of orders daily and facilitates the movement of fashion goods round the clock across eight markets, namely Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Mustapa said the National E-commerce Strategic Roadmap launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak began this year and has 11 programmes to be undertaken by the relevant agencies.
In his speech at the event, he said with the increasing penetration of the Internet and millions of digitally-empowered consumers worldwide with computers, tablets and smartphones, the digital economy presents unprecedented opportunities for Malaysian businesses to achieve scale and serve customers globally.
Commenting on the event today, Mustapa urged Zalora, which offers an extensive collection of top international and local brands and designs, to source more Malaysian products for their business for ASEAN markets in an effort to build local brands.
He said Malaysia welcomed Zalora’s presence in Malaysia through its collaboration with YCH Logistics Sdn Bhd with a capital investment of RM20 million. — Bernama
