By Leo Chow, Chief Executive Officer, Lazada Malaysia,
Lazada Malaysia lauds the government’s plans and support for a digital-led recovery plan for our local SMEs. SMEs are the backbone of our society, for job creation and economic contribution. The Shop Malaysia Online initiative will be integral in supporting and enabling Malaysia’s small businesses to not only cope, but to flourish in the new normal. We are committed to supporting this initiative, as well as to continue promoting the Buy Malaysia campaign.
We have already seen a significant and accelerated shift to digital by our local SMEs over the last 5 months and a fundamental shake up in the business landscape. As of May, over 200 percent new sellers came onboard our platform this year. Cameron Farmers who were unable to sell their produce when the pandemic hit, sold out 1.5 tons of fresh produce daily upon going live on Lazada.
Groceries also became one of the top 3 highest-growing categories on our platform as of last month. With one-third of the population shopping online through our platform every month, the government’s matching grant to protect the welfare of the gig economy will be a lifeline to many gig workers including our logistics heroes on the frontlines.
We are confident that this investment would enhance the digital ecosystem and further promote a future-proof workforce. The government’s plans to spur e-wallet adoption will also serve to bolster eCommerce infrastructure in Malaysia, help SMEs do business safely
and securely, while strengthening the digital economy. It displays the government’s farsightedness in advancing a vision for dynamic and sustainable digital development in the long term.
As Malaysians’ one-stop lifestyle destination, Lazada stands ready to invest and amplify the government’s efforts to drive SME digitalisation, while helping Malaysians reduce cost of living through daily savings. We will work alongside the government to spur the national economy towards Malaysia’s post-Covid-19 recovery through our eCommerce initiatives.
