No immediate plans for youth entrepreneurship centre in Balingian, says S'wak deputy minister
Ripin notes that there are existing nearby facilities that can be utilised by youth and local entrepreneurs. – Photo by Roystein Emmor
KUCHING (May 22): The Sarawak Ministry of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development (MySED) has clarified that there are currently no plans to establish a Youth Entrepreneurship Centre or Creative Industry Incubator in Balingian, despite ongoing efforts to align with digitalisation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4.0).
This was stated by its deputy minister Datuk Dr Ripin Lamat in response to a question raised by Balingian assemblyman Abdul Yakub Arbi during the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting here today.
'For the information of the Honourable Member for Balingian, the ministry currently has no plans to establish a Youth Entrepreneurship Centre and Creative Industry Incubator in Balingian,' he said.
However, Ripin noted that there are existing nearby facilities that can be utilised by youth and local entrepreneurs.
These include the Mukah Digital Innovation Hub, operated by the Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC), and Pusat Inkubator dan Bimbingan Usahawan (Pibu) in Mukah, managed by SEDC, he said.
He added that the State Ministry of International Trade, Industry and Investment (Mintred) is planning to establish Anjung Usahawan Balingian, with the land acquisition process for the project site already completed.
'The Anjung Usahawan Balingian is expected to offer several key services, including serving as a processing centre to support small-scale production activities, sales kiosks for entrepreneurs to market their products, and food stalls to encourage local food vendors.
'The facility will also include an incubator to nurture startup businesses and a community activity space for engagement and development programmes.
'Should the Honourable Member have any suggestions for improvement, they may contact Mintred,' he said.
In response to a supplementary question on efforts to empower youth involvement in entrepreneurship, Ripin highlighted several strategic initiatives currently being implemented.
'The ministry is enhancing 'Program Jelajah Belia Sarawak' to raise awareness among youth about the potential, opportunities, and future career prospects in entrepreneurship.
'It is also organising Youth Entrepreneur Setup (YES) 3.0 in every district to promote entrepreneurial awareness and provide early guidance on business licensing and the relevant agencies involved,' he said.
To further encourage youth participation, Ripin also said the ministry is increasing engagement among students in both public and private higher education institutions through the Sarawak Youth Business Idea Competition (Saybic).
'This programme, conducted in collaboration with Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Sarawak, aims to nurture interest in entrepreneurship, identify young talent, and promote entrepreneurship as a viable career path,' he added.
'Additionally, the Sarawak Youth StartUP Development Programme offers a comprehensive course covering the fundamentals and advanced aspects of entrepreneurship.
'These include business administration, financial management, human resource management, certification, marketing, branding, risk analysis, and business planning.
'The first cohort of this programme was held in December 2024, while the second cohort is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2025.'
Furthermore, he said the ministry is also strengthening collaboration with other ministries such as Mintred, the Federal Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry (Kuskop), and other relevant Sarawak state and federal government agencies, in an effort to build a symbiotic ecosystem that can support the development of successful and competitive youth entrepreneurs.
Looking ahead, Ripin said the establishment of a Startup Hub could be considered based on future developments and needs. Creative Industry Incubator DUN ripin lamat Youth Entrepreneurship Centre
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