KUALA LUMPUR: Women entrepreneurs in Malaysia should be provided with greater business financing, to support their expansion efforts, and facilitate entry into international markets.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that this initiative is particularly crucial for women entrepreneurs, who face challenges in accessing financial capital.
“We should also align the Global Women’s Empowerment Fund scheme with an export financing initiative, tailored to support high-potential women entrepreneurs. This fund should prioritise export certification, participation in international expos, global branding, and logistics.
“The proposal to increase loan capital is justified. For instance, Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM), where nearly 100 per cent of borrowers are women, has maintained an impressively low non-performing loan (NPL) rate, of just 0.1 per cent,” he said.
He said this when officiating the Women in Export Forum 2025, jointly organised by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) and the Malaysian Women and Family Affairs Organisation (Hawa), at Matrade today.
Also present were Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz; Matrade chairman Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican; and Hawa chairman Tan Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Minister of Rural and Regional Development, proposed the establishment of a Women Export Incubator - a one-stop centre designed to provide a comprehensive support ecosystem for women entrepreneurs aiming to enter the international market.
He emphasised that the incubator should offer export mentoring services, international certification training, co-working spaces, and digital business clinics, with a particular focus on supporting women from rural areas and the B40 group.
“I also propose the ‘Anugerah Wira Ekonomi Wanita’, to recognise female figures who have made a significant impact in trade, technology, the halal industry, and regional exports. This initiative will not only inspire enthusiasm, but also serve as a platform for economic diplomacy, enhancing Malaysia’s global branding.
“At the same time, we must champion the Green Trade for Women, an initiative designed to train and support women in producing environmentally friendly products, which align with ESG (environmental, social, and governance) principles,” he said.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also the chairman of the National Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Council, emphasised the importance of leveraging the TVET platform to strengthen women’s skills across various fields, including technology and entrepreneurship.
