KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 4 — The Bumiputera Manufacturers and Services Industry Association of Malaysia (PPIPBM) aims to achieve a 15 to 20 per cent increase in exports among its members next year.
Its president, Datuk Azman Yusoff said the food and beverage (F&B) sector would be the main focus in the association’s quest to take more Bumiputera entrepreneurs to the international stage in 2020.
“Many countries are fond of Malaysia because they see us producing our own products. As a Muslim nation, we see this as a potential in producing halal foods that meet the market demand of these countries,” he told the media on the sidelines of the Post 2020 Budget Forum here today.
About 400 participants attended the forum entitled “Driving the Economy of Bumiputera Entrepreneurs” organised by the association.
Azman said about 20 to 30 per cent of the association’s 600 active members have penetrated the international export market, especially in the food manufacturing, healthcare and services sectors.
Besides the F&B sector, he said the aerospace and education-based technology sectors should also drive export by 2020, which is currently dominated by the electrical and electronics sector.
“We want Bumiputera entrepreneurs to export in these sectors as we have lower costs than that of other countries,” he added.
Established in 1987, PPIPBM has 1,500 members, comprising of small and medium enterprises from the manufacturing and service industries. — Bernama
