SEDCC reaffirms commitment to support Sarawak entrepreneurs
Awang Tengah (centre) witnesses the handover of an additional RM5 million to Agrobank for the implementation of the SKMS for 2025 during the meeting.
KUCHING (April 24): The Sarawak Entrepreneur Development Coordination Committee (SEDCC) held its first meeting of the year yesterday, reaffirming the state's commitment to enhancing its entrepreneurial landscape.
According to the Ministry of International Trade, Industry, and Investment Sarawak (Mintred), the strategic platform brought together over 80 representatives from 45 federal and 38 state agencies involved in the implementation of entrepreneurship development programmes across Sarawak.
'The committee, with Mintred as its secretariat, aims to refine policies and coordinate the execution of various initiatives supporting local entrepreneurs.
'One of the highlights of the meeting was the ceremonial handing over of an additional RM5 million to Agrobank for the implementation of the Sarawak Micro Credit Scheme (SKMS) for 2025.
'The handover was witnessed by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan — who is also Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development II and Minister for International Trade, Industry and Investment.
'Meanwhile, Mintred permanent secretary Dzulkornain Masron presented the funds to Agrobank regional director for Sarawak Abdul Halek Abdullah,' it said in a press statement yesterday.
From 2021 through the first quarter of 2025, it added that the Sarawak government, through Mintred, has supported over 45,500 entrepreneurs with assistance amounting to RM199.49 million.
This support came via various programmes such as the Small and Medium Industry Loan Scheme (SPIKS); SKMS; Graduates Towards Entrepreneurship (GERAK); Technical and Vocational Entrepreneurs (USTEV); Go Digital; and several basic, technical, and digital entrepreneurship initiatives, along with promotional efforts at national and international expos.
Awang Tengah, in the same statement, highlighted the role of Entrepreneur Database System (Enbase), a centralised digital platform, in enabling data-driven policy planning and monitoring.
'Enbase will allow us to deliver specialised programmes—financial assistance, capacity building, and product promotion—more effectively to the right target groups, including rural entrepreneurs,' he said.
He also encouraged Sarawak's entrepreneurs to embrace the best practices, adopt cutting-edge technologies, and align with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles to boost business productivity and competitiveness.
It was also revealed that beyond Mintred, agencies such as SME Corp Malaysia, SME Bank, Mara, Tekun, SKM, Tegas, SDEC, and STIDC have extended assistance to over 177,000 Sarawakian entrepreneurs, amounting to RM2.6 billion in aid.
Among the officials present during the meeting were Deputy Minister of Youth, Sports, and Entrepreneur Development Datuk Dr Ripin Lamat; Mintred advisor Dato Sri Mohd Naroden Majais; and senior officials from various federal and state agencies.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
11 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Traditional Kedah dish takes top prize at Genting Culinary Classic competition
PAHANG: A traditional Kedah dish has claimed the top prize at the Genting Culinary Classic 2025 competition today. Out of 20 finalists, Budiman Bistari Mohamed from Batu Kurau, Perak, emerged as the grand national winner with his signature dish, ayam golek with buah kulim, served alongside nasi lemuni, herb salad, and fried eggplant with wild petai (stink beans). The 50-year-old executive sous chef at Le Méridien expressed his delight at being able to showcase local ingredients on a national platform. "I'm extremely happy to have brought Malay food to this stage, all the way from Kedah. "Many of the ingredients I used today are unfamiliar to the younger generation, but we have a rich catalogue of herbs that we should be proud of and share with the world," he said. Budiman said that he had practised the recipe extensively at home, with the help of his mother and grandmother, whose support was instrumental in perfecting the dish. "The preparation wasn't too difficult because they were with me throughout the process, even enduring the long hours. "If I didn't know something, I'd ask them, and they'd guide me patiently," he said. With over 30 years of culinary experience, Budiman hopes to integrate traditional home-cooked dishes into hotel cuisine and prove that Malaysian heritage food deserves a place in modern dining. As the grand national winner, Budiman received a cash prize of RM20,000, in-kind prizes worth RM5,000, and the opportunity to showcase his winning dish at Resorts World Genting's food and beverage outlets. The Genting Culinary Classic 2025, a nationwide culinary competition, was launched as part of Resorts World Genting's 60th anniversary celebrations. It was organised in collaboration with the Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards (Hapa) Group Sdn Bhd and in association with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture. After a rigorous selection process involving more than 120 aspiring cooks from across the country, 20 finalists were chosen to compete on June 10 and 11 at the Genting International Showroom (GISR). Open to chefs and cooking enthusiasts aged 18 and above from all culinary backgrounds, the competition celebrates Malaysia's diverse food heritage. This year's judging panel featured renowned culinary figures, including celebrity chef Martin Yan and MasterChef Malaysia judge Mohd Johri Edrus, who offered valuable insights and feedback during the judging process. "All the contestants put their heart and soul into their dishes, whether they were professional chefs or passionate home cooks. "There are still many people around the world who aren't familiar with Malaysian food, and competitions like this can help introduce it to a global audience," said chef Yan. Riding on the success of this year's event, the Genting Culinary Classic is set to return for its second edition in 2026, continuing its mission to spotlight culinary excellence in Malaysia.
Focus Malaysia
13 hours ago
- Focus Malaysia
Merchantrade's digital payroll service surpasses RM3.6b, targets RM5b in 2025
MERCHANTRADE Asia Sdn Bhd, Malaysia's non-bank money services business operator and leading wallet player, has today (June 11) revealed that its digital payroll solution has surpassed RM3.6 bil in salary disbursements to foreign worker e-wallet accounts in 2024. This milestone highlights the company's continued leadership in digitising and transforming payroll processes while advancing financial inclusion for underserved communities. Merchantrade now sets its sights on an ambitious target of RM5 biln in payroll volume by end-2025. To-date, Merchantrade has positioned itself as a trusted enabler of digital wage disbursement solutions for Malaysian businesses – from large corporates to SMEs across sectors including plantation, manufacturing, construction and services. More than 40 public listed companies now rely on the solution for secure, efficient and transparent salary payments to their migrant workforce. Merchantrade's digital payroll offering was further strengthened following its recognition as an approved issuer of a designated payment instrument under the Employment Order 2024 by the Human Resources Ministry (KESUMA). 'The RM3.6 bil disbursed in 2024 not only demonstrates the impact of our solution but also reflects a clear shift among Malaysian employers towards digital wage solutions that enhance productivity, transparency and employee well-being,' commented Merchantrade's founder and managing director Ramasamy K. Veeran. 'We're focused on extending this growth to reach RM5 bil in 2025 by deepening our partnerships, strengthening our onboarding capabilities and continuously innovating to meet employer and worker needs.' In a nutshell, Merchantrade's digital payroll system delivers distinct advantages for both employers and employees. Designed for convenience and scale, Merchantrade's digital payroll system includes mass-onboarding at the employers premise, an easy-to-use portal, training and access to 97 branches and 450 agent locations nationwide that act as service centres. For foreign workers, salaries are credited directly into the Merchantrade Money e-wallet, thus enabling access to a suite of digital financial services. This includes international remittances, mobile top-ups, micro-insurance, bill payments as well as retail and online payments with the Visa prepaid card. One of the key features of Merchantrade's payroll service is its capability to facilitate PERKESO (SOCSO) payments directly into Merchantrade Money accounts. This integration simplifies the claims process for eligible foreign workers and supports employers in managing their social protection obligations. – June 11, 2025
Malaysian Reserve
18 hours ago
- Malaysian Reserve
AGC rejects Najib's representation in RM27m SRC case
THE Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) has rejected former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's representation to drop three additional money laundering charges involving RM27 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd funds. The matter was informed by deputy public prosecutor Mohd Ashrof Adrin Kamarul when the case came up for mention before High Court Judge 'My Lord, I'm here to to inform the court that the representation has been rejected and the prosecution is going to proceed with the trial. My instructions are to inform the court of the matter and to seek trial dates,' he said. At the same time, the prosecutor asked the court for a longer time as he needed more time to obtain documents as well as to prepare witness statements. On Feb 3, 2019, Najib claimed trial to three charges of money laundering by accepting illegal proceeds amounting to RM27 million through his three AmPrivate Banking accounts at AmIslamic Bank Berhad, AmBank Group Building, Jalan Raja Chulan on July 8, 2014. Earlier, Mohd Ashrof informed the court that SRC's RM42 million case, which was previously presided over by then High Court Judge Datuk Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali (now a Court of Appeal Judge), involved 807 exhibits. He stated that these exhibits are required for use in the current trial. 'Therefore, My Lord, the prosecution will be formally requesting the registry of the High Court to return those exhibits to the prosecution for this case. I have been informed that this will require a little bit of time, and therefore, we are humbly seeking for a longer trial date to be fixed,' said the prosecutor. Meanwhile, Najib's lead counsel, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah suggested that the court grant a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) for his client, to avoid burdening the court's docket and to allow the prosecution time to prepare without prejudice. 'My Lord, the charges were preferred in 2019, and the representation was submitted on July 31, 2023. The defence believes there is merit to the representation due to the conclusive nature of the first SRC trial and subsequent appeals. 'The case has been ongoing since 2019, and the delay has spanned six years. Documents related to SRC are scattered across various courts, including the Federal Court and civil proceedings,' said the lawyer. The judge then asked the prosecutor for his view on the DNAA application, to which Mohd Ashrof said he disagreed as the prosecution was ready to proceed with the trial. 'I disagree. However, regarding the documentation, I humbly request more time to obtain the necessary documents,' Mohd Ashrof reiterated. The court then fixed June 20 to decide on the DNAA application by Najib. The former Pekan MP was charged under Section 4 (1) (a) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001, which is punishable by a maximum fine of RM5 million or imprisonment of up to five years, or both upon conviction. Najib is currently serving a jail term in Kajang Prison for the misappropriation of RM42 million in the SRC International funds case. On Sept 2, 2022, he filed a petition for a royal pardon, following which on Jan 29, 2024 the Pardons Board halved his jail term from 12 to six years and reduced the fine from RM210 million to RM50 million. — BERNAMA
