KUCHING: The Federal Government welcomes cooperation with the State Government in efforts to empower Bumiputera entrepreneurs in Sarawak. Minister of Entrepreneur Development, Mohd Redzuan Yusof said the cooperation would help to ease any form of control and to be more free and fair. “Our goal is to balance the number of beneficiaries from the government, including Bumiputera entrepreneurs in Sarawak.
“This is because we have found that the participation of Bumiputera entrepreneurs in Sarawak at the national level is still low,” he said at a convention held at Sulthan Iskandar Building, Simpnat Tige here to empower Bumiputera entrepreneurs.
However, according to Redzuan, it needed information and suggestions from entrepreneurs as the new Ministry of Entrepreneur Development is set up under the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government. “Sarawakians are known for being courageous but constrained by powerful groups. “Therefore, under the new government, I want Sarawak entrepreneurs to show that they want to succeed in business,” he explained.
He stressed that micro entrepreneurs should cooperate with the government either at the Federal or State level as these groups contribute to the country’s economic growth. Answering a question from one of the participants on ‘Ali Baba’ licence, Redzuan said such licence would be cancelled.
“If there are ‘Ali Babas’ among Bumiputera entrepreneurs anywhere, including in Sarawak, then we are not just black listing the company but will also cancel their licences,” he said. The convention provided space for Sarawak Bumiputera entrepreneurs from various sectors to voice their views in empowering them. Sarawak was chosen as the first location of the convention.
The next convention will be held in Kelantan on 13 September, Kota Kinabalu on 17 September followed by other states in the country. Also present were Deputy Minister of Entrepreneur Development, Dr Mohd Hatta Ramli, Secretary General of the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development, Wan Suraya Wan Mohd Radzi and Assistant Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Small and Medium Enterprises, Datuk Mohd Noraden Majais.
