Digi business marketing and operations head Steven Soon (second from left) delivering his speech as (from left) Johor South SME Association advisor Teh Kee Sin, RHB Bank Bhd commercial banking head Azlina Safian and PKT Logistics Group Sdn Bhd chief operating officer P’ng Tean Hau look on duri...
One for the album: (From left) Teh, Soon, Azlina and P’ng posing for photograph after their panel discussion session at the SOBA LAB programme at Trove Hotel in Johor Baru.JOHOR BARU: Digitalisation is the way forward for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and they have to start planning now,...
Unofficial figures show that some 300,000 Malaysians commute daily from Johor to Singapore to work. — FilepicJOHOR BARU: The state government is looking at the positive angle when it comes to the high number of Malaysians, including Johoreans, working in Singapore.Johor education, human resour...
An SME expo showcasing the productsKUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's small business sector experienced positive business conditions in 2018 and confidence in business and economic growth is at its highest point since 2012, according to new survey data released today by CPA Australia. The findings from CPA A...
KUALA LUMPUR: Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) should capitalise on the RM517mil funding made available by Malaysian Industrial Development Finance Bhd’s (MIDF) and Malaysian Technology Development Corp (MTDC) under the Soft Loan Scheme for Automation and Modernisation (SLSAM).MIDF group ma...
PETALING JAYA: Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng is tabling Budget 2019 in Parliament, the first federal budget by the Pakatan Harapan government.The tabling of the Supply Bill (Budget) 2019 will commence before Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof, and will be debated by the Members of Par...
Call For Formation Of SME Cluster Under Malaysia Halal Council
KUALA TERENGGANU, Feb 14 (Bernama) -- A special cluster for the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector needs to be set up under the newly-formed Malaysia Halal Council to enable SMEs to raise their problems, especially on financing.
Expounding on the proposal, Persatuan Tunas Usahawan Belia Terengganu (Patut) president Amir Long said a special fund should be provided for SMEs involved in the halal sector to ensure that plans formulated would reach the entrepreneurs.
"It is also hoped that the council could bring together government agencies which were tasked with providing halal-related financing to SMEs such as SME Corporation Malaysia, MARA and SME Bank," he told Bernama today.
The setting up of the council, which replaces the Special Cabinet Committee of Halal Industry Management and Development, was announced last Thursday by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
A bill be drafted by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) and the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) for tabling in the Dewan Rakyat to pave the way for the formation of the council under a special Act of parliament.
Amir said the division of responsibilities between Jakim and the Halal Industry Development Corp would avoid duplication of tasks related to halal certification compliance.
He said coordination among agencies was important to ensure that SMEs would get easy access to funding information and comply with halal certification criteria, hence increasing the number SMEs, especially young entrepreneurs, getting halal certificates.
Malaysia should capitalise on its the edge over its neighbours, particularly Thailand and Indonesia, spearheading the halal industry, he added.