PETALING JAYA: Homegrown brands can scale regionally without losing their cultural soul, provided they balance financial discipline with compelling storytelling.
That was the key takeaway from the panel session titled “Exporting the Malaysian DNA: Commercial Oxygen or Cultural Preservation”, hosted at Alliance Bank Malaysia Bhd
’s flagship Alliance Bank BizSmart Business Conference 2026 at W Kuala Lumpur.
Moderated by Redza Shahid, assistant director of ASBhive at Asia School of Business, the panel featured Emir Fauzi, chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder of Bayu Somerset, Carmen Toh, founder of KANTIN, and Wan Cheng Huat, founder of MinNature Malaysia.
The third edition drew over 900 entrepreneurs, business leaders, and ecosystem partners.
Themed “From Local Champions to National Icons”, the conference equipped micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with the strategic tools, financial frameworks, and cross-border networks required to expand beyond local borders.
Opening the discussion, Redza noted that Malaysia’s creative economy drives roughly 6.8% of national gross domestic product, generating around RM130.7bil. However, entrepreneurs face a classic dilemma: scale rapidly at the risk of commodifying heritage, or preserve artisanal authenticity at the expense of growth.
For Bayu Somerset, scaling lies in rigorous financial testing. Emir explained that the brand capitalised on an untapped market for accessible daily traditional wear.
“Any expansion needs to make sense in terms of numbers,” said Emir, an ex-banker. While industry norms average a one-to-three-year payback period for retail outlets, Bayu Somerset targets a six-month breakeven window.
“Before investing heavily, we test the market through temporary pop-ups. Once proven, we invest with a target minimum of 50% same-store sales growth.”
Taking Malaysian heritage overseas presents a different hurdle: market awareness. Kellee Kam, group CEO of Alliance Bank, reinforced the bank’s commitment to supporting MSMEs along this journey.
