By Melati Mohd Ariff
KUALA LUMPUR, June 4 (Bernama) -- "Mara will continue to unearth Malay entrepreneurs as long as there are Malays who have the interest to venture into business."
That being the words of Datuk Othman Ahmad, the Deputy Director General (Entrepreneurs) of Majlis Amanah Rakyat or more popularly known as 'Mara'.
Othman said since Mara's establishment more than 40 years ago, the agency would continuously seek to ensure that the Bumiputera particularly the Malays were not left behind the nation's mainstream development.
At the same time, the Bumiputera entrepreneurs should be willing to change as any transformations made by Mara would be fruitless if they themselves were not willing to make the necessary adjustments, he said.
"Via all of Mara's programmes, we are out to create the generation of successful entrepreneurs among the Malays. We want them to pass down their business to their children and grandchildren.
"When the generation is ready to take over, we only need to assist in expanding the business instead of starting all over again", Othman told Bernama in his office at Mara building here recently.
As the Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Ministry had ceased to exist, Mara now comes under the purview of the Regional and Rural Development Ministry.
DEVELOPING THE SMEs
Mara has been synonymous with the government's efforts to develop the Bumiputera small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Nurturing the SMEs to be competitive at the global level is one of the foundations of the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) (2006-2010).
Othman said Mara has drawn out plans to provide SME opportunities for the Bumiputera entrepreneurs.
Named the Entrepreneur Development Landscape, the programme took off the ground after its launch by the then Prime Minister Datuk Seri (Tun) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on April 2007.
According to Othman, the 2003 statistics showed that there were 523,132 business establishments in the manufacturing, services and agriculture sectors of which 518,996 or 91.2 per cent were SMEs.
He said until 2005 the number of business establishments were 37,866 (manufacturing), 451,516 (services), 32,397 (agriculture) that created 394,670 jobs.
For that, Mara would step up efforts to boost the participation of Bumiputera entrepreneurs in SMEs, he said.
So far, 32,528 Bumiputera SME entrepreneurs are under Mara's patronage.
Under the 9MP, the government had set aside RM210 million for Mara's programmes to develop the Bumiputera SMEs.
FOCUS
To boost active Bumiputera participation in SMEs, Mara is focusing on three business sectors namely food processing, retail and furniture.
Under these, there are five priorities - retail, food and herbal industries, development of graduates from Mara training institutions (Giat Mara, IKM) , development of graduates from public and private universities as well as Industrialised Business System (IBS) and Hardware.
"All of our efforts point towards realising the slogan endorsed by the then Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Ministry of 'entrepreneurship as the career of choice'.
"We want to instill the attitude of doing business rather than earning a salaried income," said Othman.
On the IBS, Othman said it was a new approach to deal with the influx of foreign workers in the country.
He said the foreign workers have dominated various sectors and remitted close to RM15 billion to their homeland each year.
"The IBS will cut down the labour and costs. We have (institutions like) Giat Mara, Institut Kemahiran Mara (IKM) and UniKL that focus on the technical field. This way we can contribute towards more active Bumiputera participation," he said.
He said all of Mara efforts were towards creating 60,050 Bumiputera entrepreneurs including those in the SME sector, under the 9MP.
Othman said for the period of 2006-2008, Mara had issued funds for 33,000 Bumiputera traders that amounted to RM1.4 billion.
FOOD PROCESSING
Food processing is among the business fields that have the participation of many Bumiputera entrepreneurs.
Othman said there were 400 Bumiputera entrepreneurs in this field under the agency's patronage.
However close to 70 per cent of these operators still do not have the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and Hazard Analysis as well as Critical Control Point (HACCP) accreditation.
"If there are no GMP and HACCP, then how to sell? What more in the foreign market.
"For that reason, we have set up the Mara Food Industry Complex (KIMAR) at Mukim Batu here at the cost of RM12 million where we provide facilities for the entrepreneurs to obtain the GMP and HACCP recognition," he said.
The complex is expected to be operational this month (June).
"This scheme is exceptional as apart from providing the location to operate, we also provide the loan for capital and purchase of equipment," he added.
MANAGEMENT TEAM
A team would manage the complex, which is also equipped with a proper waste disposal system.
An exhibition hall to display the products is also available.
Othman said Mara had picked 18 food industry operators to operate at the complex for up to a maximum period of 10 years.
He said the chosen entrepreneurs have the potential to go further and Mara hopes these operators reach the turnover of RM25 million a year in the near future.
Similar complexes are being developed in Pedas, (Negeri Sembilan), Serkam (Melaka) and Dungun (Terengganu).
"In Dungun (complex), we would focus on the pharmaceutical industry," he said.
Mara would also establish a Halal Park in Pulau Indah (Selangor), he added.
INCUBATOR FACILITY
Mara is also in the midst of setting up the 'Food Technology Incubator' facility at the Kepong Industrial Zone near here.
The facility is due to be completed in July this year. Among others the facility provides a laboratory to study the standard imposed on food products in the foreign nations.
The facility is also entrusted to develop product's packaging and with the equipment available, producers can have their products sent to this facility for tests.
Othman said Mara is collaborating with Campden Food Research Association from the United Kingdom to boost the incubator facility's efficiency.
MARKETING COOPERATION
In terms of marketing products by Bumiputera entrepreneurs, Mara has obtained the cooperation of almost all supermarkets in Malaysia to promote these items.
"Even though the products have entered the supermarkets, we also hold Mega Sale Carnival throughout the year to enable the producers to sell their goods directly to the consumers. Products chosen are definitely that of quality.
"This way, we assist the traders in terms of their cash flow. We plan to hold 70 carnival events nationwide including Sabah and Sarawak," said Othman.
Mara is also actively participating in trade expositions abroad in its efforts to promote products of Bumiputera entrepreneurs.
The agency has also set up Glocal Link Sdn Bhd, a firm to manage 11 trading houses for the marketing of such products abroad.
In the retail sector, Mara has trained 7,780 entrepreneurs in various business including electrical, interior decoration, healthcare, automotive and information communication technology (ICT).
He said 3,552 entrepreneurs have started operations while the rest would do so once they have the place to operate.
MENTOR, MENTEE
Mara has appointed successful businessmen to act as mentors to those who are still new in the field, under the 'mentor-mentee' concept.
Those picked for this programme are required to attend training for three to six months.
"After this period, the new traders would be given special courses that is the Entrepreneur Development Training to beef up their know how in business.
"Later they will start their own business according to their respective mentor's model.
"This concept is what we also call as the bamboo network where the entrepreneurs help each other like that in the clump of bamboo trees," said Othman, adding that the entrepreneurs also receive guidance of Mara's Business Management Consultant (BMC).
According to Othman, Mara focuses on the retail sector as it contributes a significant portion to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
This sector has recorded a turnover of 5.2 per cent, from RM159.6 billion in the year 2000 to RM205.6 billion in 2005.
VARSITY STUDENTS, GRADUATES
Mara also provides the Technopreneur Programme for university students and graduates, for them to participate in business development programmes, in line with the agency's aspiration to create the generation of Bumiputera traders.
Among these programmes is the Professional Diploma in Retail Management that drew the participation of 21 graduates of various disciplines.
This one-year programme is held at the Open University here.
Mara also collaborates with several tertiary-level education institutions including Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) that offers a Master's programme in IT entrepreneurship.
Apart from that Mara also collaborates with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) to establish "EduBiz Park" or Persada Siswa.
At Persada Siswa, Mara will place 60 mentor entrepreneurs and any UKM graduates who wish to do business can have their internship with their mentor.
"If they wish to do business, then they can proceed to do so. This programme is not available in other universities. Mara's approach is to create the Knowledge Entrepreneur generation.
"Today, the public sees the business field as the place for those who have no other choices. We want to change this negative perception and instill the sense that entrepreneurship is your future.
"Abroad, those who are in the business are the educated ones," he said.
Othman said under the graduates' entrepreneurship concept, Mara aims to train 1,000 graduates in the entrepreneurship field.
So far, out of the 380 graduates who have signed for the programme, 245 have started their own business.
SUPPORT, TRANSFORMATION
Othman said Mara's role is to transform the Malays into successful entrepreneurs. "There has to be a change or transformation in attitude," he said.
"Parents should also encourage their children to venture into business even though they have degree qualifications.
"I am confident if given the proper guidance and funds apart from the right attitude (confidence, resolve, trust), they can be successful," he added.
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