M’sia ready to be hub for Indonesia’s franchise industry

Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Hamzah Zainudin during a Cooperative Commission of Malaysia monthly assembly and the launching of Merdeka month, at Menara SKM, Kuala Lumpur on Friday.

JAKARTA: Malaysia is prepared to consider a proposal that it become a hub for Indonesia’s franchise industry to help the republic’s franchise products penetrate international markets, said Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin.

The Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister said the proposal was made by Indonesian business leaders at a dialogue between Malaysian and Indonesian business people in conjunction with a Malaysian franchise promotion in Jakarta on Saturday.

“We will include the proposal in the agenda and will make a comprehensive study on it,” he told Malaysian journalists after chairing the dialogue.

Hamzah said Indonesian franchise operators said they did not have the opportunity to venture overseas as the local market of over 250 million people was huge and the republic’s franchise products could be brought over to Malaysia, which enjoys a stable economy, to be marketed globally.

He said Malaysia had the capacity to be an international franchise hub, adding the country had currently 815 registered franchise operators.

Of the total, 548 are local franchise operators and 206 are franchisees of foreign franchises while 61 are master franchise holders of foreign brands, according to him.

Sixty-three local franchise companies had expanded overseas, opening 2,460 outlets in 56 countries, he added. -Bernama