KUALA LUMPUR: The Bumiputera Agenda Steering Unit (Teraju) and its strategic partner, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), today jointly launched the ‘Sarawak Week’ promotion in Kedai Asia in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia as part of its efforts to market Sarawak food products.
In a joint statement, the parties said the week-long promotion serves to introduce and entice Saudi taste buds to sample the unique Sarawakian delicacies consisting of rare stingless bee honey, pepper, palm sugar, and one of the highly prized Sarawakian fare, the preserved terubuk fish and roe.
“Besides local consumption, these products are expected to be a hit with tourists, and expatriates residing in the country for a taste closer to home,” they said in conjunction with the launch.
The strategic alliance was formed through community and industry linkages to undertake a Sustainable Marketing for Community (SMART Community) programme, under Teraju’s community-building flagship initiative, Bumiputera Entrepreneur Development Fund (DPUB).
The DPUB Sarawak programme, initiated in 2020, aimed to empower and build capacity within the B40 communities and is part of the 11th Malaysia Plan and Third Rolling Plan (RP3) towards inclusive and prosperity development of the nation.
“Through an injection of RM7 million in working capital, Teraju appointed USM to champion the SMART Community programme to elevate the livelihood of the B40 community as well as the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Sarawak.
“The statistics show that over 300 Malaysian MSMEs export their products to Saudi Arabia via Asian shops and there is a healthy demand for them due to the unique and exotic taste, pure quality, and the increasing popularity of Asian delicacies,” said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Special Functions) Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad, who launched Sarawak Week.
Meanwhile, SMART Community programme head Syed Yusof Syed Kechik said Kedai Asia is the first Malaysian business entity to successfully set up a retail space at the Abraj Al-Bait Clock Tower in Makkah.
It is also the first Malaysian-owned retail store with both physical and online stores in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States.
“As far as demand goes, the sales margin of Sarawak products placed in Kedai Asia has increased by 68.1 per cent, contributing to the overall current income stream of its owner, Husam Waksa Sdn Bhd,” said Syed Yusof. – Bernama
