KOTA KINABALU: A total of 4,425 youths in Sabah are actively engaged in the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) entrepreneurship sector, the state assembly was told today.
State Assistant Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Fairuz Renddan said out of this figure, 4,101 individuals are operating under the Department of Industrial Development and Research (DIDR), while an additional 324 are participating in programmes facilitated by the Sabah Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Ministry.
He noted that although his ministry lacks direct SME oversight, it has significantly aided young entrepreneurs in starting and growing their businesses, notably through programmes like the ‘Jaya Usahawan Belia’ scheme (SYABAS), benefiting 2,893 individuals.
“The range of businesses being pursued includes agriculture, tourism, retail and various other sectors,” he said when responding to a question from Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak (BN-Usukan) on youth involvement in SME entrepreneurship and the state government’s supportive efforts.
Fairuz said the state government has implemented various measures aimed at supporting youth SME entrepreneurs, such as the Young Agropreneur Grant (GAM) programme, comprehensive skills training in downstream product manufacturing and sustained entrepreneurship development efforts.
The state government has also provided complimentary courses and skills training and offers platforms for youth entrepreneurs to showcase and market their downstream fishery products, in addition to the Change Upgrade Product Matching Grant Programme (CUP) and SME-UP assistance, he said.
He said collaborations have been established with local supermarkets like BATARAS and Petronas Mesra Shops to facilitate the marketing of SME entrepreneur products, alongside the establishment of SME-centric product marketing centres, notably IKSMART.
Earlier, the state assembly expressed condolences to the families of the 10 Royal Malaysian Navy (TLDM) personnel who were killed in the mid-air collision and crash of two Royal Malaysian Navy (TLDM) helicopters during a training exercise at its Lumut base yesterday.
Deputy Speaker Datuk Al-Hambra Tun Juhar said their passing was a great loss to the nation, adding that their contributions will always be cherished.
