MALAYSIA: Good Practices, Success Stories and Lessons Learnt from the Public Sector, Country Programs and Initiatives on

Supporting Women as Entrepreneurs

1. Funding and Financing 2. Capacity Building and Up-skilling

3. Technology Adoption and Innovation 4. R&D

5. Export and Market Access 6. Startup Facilitation

Initiatives by the Malaysian government, are often supported and implemented in collaboration with entrepreneurial NGOs and private sectors, to help women entrepreneurs overcome their entrepreneurial challenges:

FUNDING

BUDGET 2015: To enhance financing for microenterprises, an additional RM500 million has been allocated under TEKUN to provide assistance to Bumiputera entrepreneurs (RM300 million) and young Indian entrepreneurs (RM50 million), young professional women entrepreneurs (RM50 million) and armed forces veteran entrepreneurs (RM 50 million). In addition, RM1.8 billion existing funds from Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM) will be provided to Bumiputera women entrepreneurs. An additional RM30 million has been allocated under AIM for Indian women entrepreneurs. BUDGET 2016: Catalyzing technology adoption, R&D, innovation and commercialization, promoting Corporate participation is assisting entrepreneurs through Corporate Entrepreneurship Responsibility, and encouraging export through MATRADE’s Export Funds. Budget 2016 also sees Malaysia’s seriousness in developing young entrepreneurs through various schemes that will encourage participation in new economy and new industries.

Women Entrepreneur Financing Program under the Leaders Entrepreneur Acceleration Program (WEP –LEAP) is to provide assistance to women entrepreneurs under the SME category of small and medium size to obtain financing for business expansion. To finance fixed assets or working capital from USD125k – USD560k. Applicants are required to attend the LEAP program conducted by SME BANK – CEDAR (Center for Entrepreneurship Development and Research). New approach to

guarantee successful and effective use of funds in developing expansion plans that will result in

sustainable and bankable business

Equips women entrepreneurs with business skills in key functional areas including financial management, marketing, leadership and technology.

Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia

An Islamic Micro-financing Scheme to low income group who lacks access to conventional financing. Since its inception in 1987, USD 2.0B has been disbursed to more than 280,000 borrowers, with more than

95% recovery rate.

The Malaysian Chinese Women Entrepreneurs Foundation (MCWEF)

Received loan of USD7.1M from the government to provide micro-credit scheme to help Chinese women in Malaysia start a small

business. Expected to benefit 30,000 women in 10 years.

Government Initiative

Government and NGO

Collaboration

TEKUN Nasional

USD12M allocated to help provide startup loans for women professionals to establish businesses, in collaboration with professional

associations and bodies.

Government and NGO

Collaboration

Sharina Zaidun

Received RM 30,000 loan from TEKUN Nasional that helped her to establish 3 pre-schools. Further loan of RM 50,000 allowed her to now own 4 kindergarten and five nurseries. She recently won the Outsanding Entrepreneur Award from TEKUN.

Kabilah Abdul Hassan Sabah Seaweed Entrepreneur who turned a village based-business into a regional business with Malaysia’s Get Malaysian Business Online (GMBO) program spearheaded by the Malaysia Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). Kabilah seaweed are now being exported to Japan and other parts of the world.

TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION PROGRAM

Get Malaysian Business Online (GMBO) In collaboration with Google Malaysia, MYNIC and iTrain provides training for women entrepreneurs in developing websites and running online businesses. MCMC provides USD250 grant each, to help women entrepreneurs get websites for their business.

TECHNOLOGY ACQUISITION PROGRAM Malaysia Technology Development Fund

Technology Acquisition Fund (TAF2)

To provide financial assistance to women entrepreneurs to acquire equipment and

machinery to improve current production, capacity or process.

Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE)

The Women Exporters Development Program

3-year program that includes promotional activities, training, seminars and visitation

programs.

COACHING & EXPORT

UTILIZING MOBILE TECHNOLOGY

Qualcomm, Maxis, Cherie Blair Foundation, Foundation for Women Education and Vocational Training Connect women entrepreneurs with professional mentors. 150 home-based women entrepreneurs in 2014.

LEVERAGING ON ICT TO BUILD INCLUSIVE ECONOMIES

Part of the Digital Malaysia to transform the nation into a ‘digital economy’, individuals can register as digital workers and perform “simple digital-based tasks”. The eRezeki portal is an online job market for part time jobs obtained from international companies. RM60mil worth of jobs have already been outsourced to eRezeki. Specific trainings are given, participants can typically earn up to RM500 per month as additional income by working from one to three hours a day. 4 eRezeki centres with 30-50 computers each are available all around Malaysia.

E-Usahawan

A program introduced to vocational-trainees at college levels to embark on

their entrepreneurial journey, using digital and social media strategies, to

institutionalize digital entrepreneurship.

MyCyberSale

In 2014, MyCyberSale generating income as much as RM67 million. Meanwhile in 2015, 400 online entrepreneurs take part including outside Klang Valley such as Sabah, Sarawak. This saw an increase in participation and revenue.

Adopting the spirit on mentorship by successful entrepreneurs and industry experts, WENA’s ER360 travels nationwide to provide free consultancy and help to entrepreneurs in 10 core areas of business, benefiting more than 5,000 entrepreneurs (75% women) in 2015.

For Community By Community

MOVING WOMEN TOWARDS NEW ECONOMY

Women Innovation Academy established to expose, support and build women’s capacity in the areas of entrepreneurship, leadership and innovation. A very hands-on approach of “business and personal” incubation, participants are connected to network of mentors and ecosystem builders to accelerate their growth.

Various capacity development program with emphasize on technology-enhanced businesses, and development of businesses leveraging on app and sharing economy, and social enterprises. Participants are connected to alternative funding, mentors, acceleration programs, market access and Silicon Valley.

Thank you

Presented by:

Nadira Yusoff President

Women Entrepreneur Network Association Malaysia (WENA)