KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 17 — Eligible small and medium enterprises may apply for assistance and training provided by various agencies under the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (Medac) to rehabilitate or expand their businesses.
Its minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, Medac said through SME Corporation Malaysia (SME Corp) has various programmes available including for enterprising youths, women and differently-abled persons.
“It is our desire to help enhance the socio-economic status of these groups through the programmes.
“They may be zakat (tithe) recipients now but Insya-Allah in future when they have become successful in business and are economically stable, they will be zakat contributors,” he said, while launching the Tunas Usahawan Baitulmal (TUB) programme here today.
TUB, organised by Medac through SME Corp in collaboration with the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP), targets Baitulmal entrepreneurs who have the potential to expand their businesses, and priority is given to those whose enterprises had been impacted by Covid-19.
According to SME Corp chairman Datuk Seri Syed Hussien Al Habshee, the TUB programme was also designed to help improve the target groups’ standard of living through entrepreneurial activities and generate sustainable income to become self-reliant.
“As a result of this programme, participants have successfully generated accumulated sales value of RM1.32 million,” he said.
Syed Hussien, who is also MAIWP chairman said the programme started as a pilot project to train 84 entrepreneurs in 2019.
“Eighteen of the participants who were former zakat recipients are now paying zakat,” he said, adding that 50 entrepreneurs will be trained via online this year from December 13 until December 22, 2020.
During the event, Cooperation Documents were also exchanged between SME Corp, MAIWP and Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd for the TUB Programme and Micro Financing Programme specifically for micro entrepreneurs in the B40 and underprivileged groups.
The micro financing programme provides entrepreneurship training and loan/financing assistance of up to RM50,000 for pandemic affected micro-entrepreneurs. — Bernama
