Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said at the launch of PEDi at Kampung Durian Tawar on November 21, 2021, that the establishment of Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family) Digital Economy Centres (PEDi) can help create and empower small entrepreneurs toward innovative and competitive digitalisation and improve the socioeconomic status of the people, particularly the rural community.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will lead the small entrepreneur empowerment programme, with the help of relevant agencies and industry players, with a goal of 800,000 small entrepreneurs benefiting from PEDi by 2025, according to the prime minister.
Role of PEDi
The role of PEDi vision as a One-Stop Center is to provide collective Internet access to the community and areas with less broadband coverage.
It offers the local community various courses and training in ICT based to hone skills in e-commerce business, as well as mastery of digital knowledge.
PEDi’s focus is on efforts to emphasize the generation of income as well as helping the people’s economy through e-commerce through strategic cooperation with several government and private agencies.
Thus, the emphasis on digital transformation is a major agenda at PEDi so that rural communities and urban poor areas can empower themselves to economic activities as well as increase income through digital economic activities.
According to Ismail Sabri, a total of 873 existing PEDi will be upgraded to one-stop centres for rural digital economic activities, 37 new PEDi will be opened in the first quarter of 2022, and another 173 by the end of next year, bringing the total to 1,083 PEDi to be operational nationwide.
Improve The Socio-Economic Status
To improve the socio-economic status and empower human capital it offers awareness programs as well as community involvement, PEDi offers various entrepreneurship courses to help local entrepreneurs to run an online business that will be provided by the agency government such as MDEC,SME Corp and private companies such as AEON and Shopee. This list will be improved with more engagement from agencies as well as the private sector.
The main objective of the PEDi Advisory Panel is to encourage and provide opportunities to various stakeholders in the local community to get involved in PEDi related activities as well as attracting the local community to make full use of the services and activities at the PEDi.
It provides support and be actively involved in activities and programs conducted at PEDi to obtain information related to the socio-economic problems of the local community and collaboration between the local community and the parties involved in an effort to address the issue.
A total of 600 PEDi Digital Partners will be appointed and assigned to running programs organized by various agencies government and private. This is an additional manpower to the PEDi that essentially has a Manager and an Assistant Manager.
PEDi Digital Partner will conduct a variety of exercises, will be advisors to micro-entrepreneurs well as will guide them towards the digital economy, they will also help the entrepreneur to seek advice from certain agencies if required.
Efforts to empower local entrepreneurs will be supported by Ikon PEDi entrepreneurs are small entrepreneurs from the local community who have succeeded in order to motivate and inspire those who are interested in venturing into the field of entrepreneurship.
For example, Mrs. Normala in PEDi Kg. Durian Tawara, Bera, Pahang known by the local community. This directly gives access to other entrepreneurs’ interaction to deepen possible approaches giving success to their own endeavors.
PEDi will organize the Entrepreneur Digitization Empowerment Program Small led by the MCMC in collaboration with several Government and private agencies.
Various entrepreneurship programs are highlighted to help entrepreneurs small businesses online through e-platform trade,and more.
The program aims to encourage 800,000 small entrepreneurs to switch to digitization by 2025.
Through the program, it is hoped to increase production and productivity that will generate profits, sustain the business as well as employment while creating employment opportunities for Family Malaysia.
All activities will be monitored, the impact is in terms of increased income by micro-entrepreneurs who have undergone guidance and Training at PEDi.
It is targeted that the average increase in micro-entrepreneurs is by not less than 30% compared to previous income entered the Small Entrepreneur Digitization Empowerment Program.
Through this close monitoring, MCMC can act swiftly with other government agencies as well as the private sector to streamline activities to be more robust and suitable for micro-entrepreneurs.
