The ‘Siri Program Turun Padang dan Dialog YAB’ led by Special Adviser to the National Entrepreneur and SME Development Council (MPUPK) Dato’ Sri Diraja Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail opened in Sungai Petani, Kedah, bringing together Bumiputera entrepreneurs and key stakeholders for direct engagement.
The programme is a government initiative aimed at gathering on-the-ground input and feedback from chambers of commerce and the entrepreneurial community at the state level, with a specific focus on the issues and challenges faced by Bumiputera entrepreneurs.
Dato’ Sri Diraja Wan Rosdy was appointed as Special Adviser to MPUPK by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Apr 11, 2025.
In his role, he is tasked with strengthening micro, small and medium enterprises nationwide, particularly Bumiputera entrepreneurs, while serving as a key intermediary to enhance strategic cooperation between the Federal Government and state governments.
Organised by the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives through SME Corp Malaysia, the programme drew 220 participants, comprising Bumiputera entrepreneurs and companies, representatives from state governments, federal agencies, local authorities, financial institutions, government-linked companies, business associations and chambers of commerce from Kedah, Perlis, Penang and Perak.
The strong turnout reflected a shared commitment to reinforcing the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem.
In his address, Wan said the government remains committed as the country enters 2026, the first year of the 13th Malaysia Plan, to charting a more structured approach to SME development.
He noted that the national target is to raise SMEs’ contribution to the economy from 39.5% in 2024 to 50% by 2030, adding that open dialogue platforms are crucial in addressing core challenges faced by entrepreneurs.
The dialogue session allowed Bumiputera entrepreneurs to directly raise business challenges while highlighting MPUPK’s role in coordinating policies and ensuring government assistance reaches the grassroots.
SME Corp Malaysia chief executive officer and MPUPK permanent secretariat head Rizal Nainy said initiatives under MPUPK, including the Integrated SME Action Plan, are helping reduce programme overlap and fund leakages through better coordination.
The programme also featured forums, success-sharing sessions, briefings and business matching, involving anchor companies such as MYDIN Mohamed Holdings, Uniti Asia and MyGalore, alongside government initiatives including DesaMall@PERDA.
