Madani outreach empowers Sabah's grassroots entrepreneurs: CM
Published on: Sun, May 11, 2025 Text Size: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Hajiji pose for a photo with recipients of the Sabah Entrepreneur Excellence Awards held in conjunction with the programme. - Pic by CMD TAWAU: The Madani Government's grassroots-level initiative, Program Madani Rakyat (PMR), has opened new avenues for local entrepreneurs in Sabah to access information on various government entrepreneurship programmes. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the initiative boosts local product visibility and supports the growth of domestic tourism and the economy. He added that Sabah has already benefited from multiple entrepreneurship programmes under the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry (Kuskop), impacting over 50,000 micro, small, and medium entrepreneurs. These include rural market projects, digitalisation support via Tekun TikTok Shop, RM800 million in financing, and SME Corp's micro-enterprise hubs, along with targeted poverty alleviation efforts through the ehsan@Kuskop initiative. Hajiji emphasised that Sabah's post-pandemic economic recovery is on track, with GDP improving yearly, and that continued Federal-State cooperation is vital in achieving the broader goals of a just and prosperous Madani society. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Express
30 minutes ago
- Daily Express
MP reiterates call for direct Sandakan international flights
Published on: Wednesday, August 20, 2025 Published on: Wed, Aug 20, 2025 By: Winnie Kasmir Text Size: Suhaimi said he had raised this matter during the winding-up session of the State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister at the First Meeting of the Fifth Term of the 16th Sabah State Assembly. SANDAKAN: Libaran MP Datuk Suhaimi Nasir has called for the immediate introduction of direct international flights to Sandakan to boost the tourism industry and the local economy in Sabah's east coast. He said Sandakan is already well-known as an eco-tourism destination with major attractions such as the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, Gomantong Caves, marine life-rich islands and tropical rainforests recognised as global treasures. Advertisement 'I was very encouraged by the remarks of the Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, who said that Sandakan's tourism products are entirely nature-based. 'Next year we will celebrate Visit Malaysia Year 2026. Unfortunately, Sandakan has not been prioritised from the beginning of this year as a tourism hub,' he said. Suhaimi said he had raised this matter during the winding-up session of the State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister at the First Meeting of the Fifth Term of the 16th Sabah State Assembly. The Sabah Umno Information Chief also emphasised that Sandakan's main weakness lies in its limited flight connectivity, noting that flights from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan remain too few. 'Flights from Kuala Lumpur to Sandakan are only twice daily, even though nearly half the passengers on board are tourists. 'More worrying is that Sandakan still does not have direct international flights, making it difficult for foreign tourists to come here. 'In 2018, Sandakan was already allocated for direct international flights, but until today this has not been realised. I want to know what plans the State Government and Ministry have to ensure this truly becomes a reality,' he said. Suhaimi said introducing direct international flights to Sandakan was crucial as it would not only open wider access to international tourism markets but also boost economic opportunities for the people on Sabah's east coast. 'Sandakan must be made the main gateway for tourists entering the east coast of Sabah. 'I urge the State Government through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment, together with the Transport of Malaysia Ministry, to act immediately to ensure direct international flights to Sandakan are established in the near future,' he said. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Defence budget tops RM5bil
KUALA LUMPUR: Defence expenditures have increased from RM3bil in 2020 to more than RM5bil last year to boost development and procurement efforts in light of geopolitical uncertainties, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. 'Recently, there was an increased military presence by the Philippines and the United States in the south of the Philippines, close to Sabah. 'I contacted Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr and according to him, it was due to China's offensive. 'This is definitely concerning and pushes us to improve our preparedness in Pulau Banggi and Sabah to defend ourselves,' Anwar said during Prime Minister Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat. He was responding to a question by Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (PN-Pasir Mas) who asked about Malaysia's defence readiness amid global and regional geopolitical uncertainties. Anwar also said that government-to-government negotiations are conducted for defence procurement in various scenarios, which have demonstrated greater effectiveness, transparency and cost savings. He said the method allows for direct negotiations between the government and the producing country without the involvement of third parties, thereby avoiding delays and cost wastage due to high commission payments to agents. 'We immediately reduce costs when we negotiate directly with governments, as we eliminate the excessively high agent fees. 'That's why we've completed the procurement process now; in the past, orders would always stall,' he stated. To a supplementary question by Ahmad Fadhli on the proposed purchase of Black Hawk helicopters or F/A-18 fighter jets, Anwar said any decision on the procurement of air defence assets would be made by the Air Force's technical committee. 'The committee will be fully responsible for determining its readiness; if it cannot be justified, we will not sign. 'This is clearly our policy,' Anwar said. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has reassured the Indian community that they have not been sidelined, with various forms of assistance channelled beyond allocations under the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra). Citing examples, he said the government had implemented a list of initiatives in 2022, including RM500mil allocated to the community under the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) programme. Three years later, the allocation for STR to the community rose to nearly RM1bil, amounting to RM972mil in 2025, he said in response to S. Kesavan (PH-Sungai Siput), who asked about the government's focus on uplifting the socio-economic development of the Indian community.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Urgent need to address plight of Indian community, says Anwar
PETALING JAYA: While poverty is most prevalent among Malays due to their larger population, the Indian community faces a far sharper struggle, particularly in abandoned estate settlements, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He said their plight must be urgently addressed, with housing and livelihood issues among the top priorities. Anwar reaffirmed that the government's poverty eradication framework is based on need rather than race with a clear focus on eliminating hardcore poverty across all communities. He said allocations under the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah scheme have significantly benefited Indian households, beginning with RM500 million in 2022 and rising to RM972 million by 2025. He also cited the RM1.2 billion Housing Credit Guarantee Scheme, along with targeted allocations for education and housing. Responding to calls for the revival of programmes such as the Amanah Saham Masyarakat India to boost equity ownership, he cautioned against framing poverty solely in racial terms. 'Even Malays, who make up 60% of the population, have yet to reach 30% equity. The challenge cuts across all races,' he said, pointing out that almost RM1 billion was directed in 2024 alone to poor Indian households, particularly in estates. He added that long-term solutions depend on strengthening SMEs and entrepreneurship. 'We can achieve zero hardcore poverty – families having food, shelter, schooling and transport. That is achievable. But poverty as a relative concept will always exist. 'Hardcore poverty, however, we can and must end.' Anwar also dismissed claims that aid for the Indian community is channelled solely through the Malaysian Indian Community Transformation Unit (Mitra). He said Mitra's RM100 million allocation represents only part of a broader pool of support coordinated across ministries. 'In 2024, out of the RM100 million allocated for Mitra, RM98.9 million was spent, benefiting more than 122,000 members of the Indian community.' He said this included RM93 million in early education subsidies, RM17.6 million in higher education aid for the Indian B40 group and RM2.99 million for 6,000 laptops distributed to Tamil schools. He added that for this year, the government is adopting a more integrated approach, ensuring Mitra works closely with ministries to maximise impact. 'For example, if the Housing and Local Government Ministry spends RM20 million on housing projects, Mitra will top up with an additional RM5 million to cover shortfalls. 'ICT laboratory equipment for 50 Tamil schools will also be jointly funded by the Education Ministry and Mitra. The main focus remains education and poverty alleviation, but development must not be fragmented.'
