BINTULU – More than 178,000 entrepreneurs in Sarawak have benefitted from over RM3.3 billion in aid disbursed by state and federal agencies in recent years, reflecting the Sarawak Government’s ongoing commitment to empowering entrepreneurship and driving economic growth.
Sarawak Deputy Premier and Minister of International Trade, Industry and Investment (MINTRED), Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, revealed the figures during the launch of the Sarawak Entrepreneurs Showcase (SUS) 2025, held at a shopping mall in Bintulu on Friday.
According to him, 41,800 MSMEs received targeted support worth RM204 million through various MINTRED programmes — including grants, loans, and schemes such as the Sarawak Micro Credit Scheme, Go Digital (RM10,000 grants), and Jom Register.
“We remain committed to strengthening our MSMEs. These initiatives are part of our holistic approach to help entrepreneurs not only survive but thrive in today’s competitive landscape,” he said.
Awang Tengah also emphasised the need for Sarawakian entrepreneurs to explore markets beyond the state and Malaysia, leveraging Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and upskilling to compete internationally.
“We have the potential, but we must continuously enhance our capabilities and take full advantage of platforms available to us.”
The SUS 2025 event in Bintulu featured:
- Cooking demonstrations
- Business pitching sessions
- Business matching programmes
- Participation from six major retail companies including AEON, Mydin and eMart, with expected sales of RM3 million
The next leg of the programme is scheduled to be held at Queensbay Mall, Penang, from 28 August to 1 September 2025.
Also present were:
- Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nasar, Speaker of the Sarawak Legislative Assembly
- Datuk Dr Malcolm Mussen Lamoh, Deputy Minister for MINTRED
- Datuk Dr Ripin Lamat, Deputy Minister for Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development
- Dato Sri Naroden Majais, MINTRED Advisor
- Iskandar Turkee (Jepak ADUN)
- Johnny Pang Leong Ming (Tanjong Datu ADUN)
- Heads of departments and invited guests
