Armizan (centre) at the launch of the Shopee Payung RM100 Campaign ahead of the Merdeka and Malaysia Day celebrations last year. With him are KPDN secretary- general Datuk Seri Sayuthi Bakar (second left) and Sea Limited vice-president Junjie Zhou (right).
FOR the past decade, Shopee Malaysia has worked to make online commerce accessible and secure. As it enters its next chapter, the platform is sharpening its focus on expanding community access and sustaining livelihoods across the nation.
Connecting consumers nationwide
Participation in the digital economy relies on access to safe online transactions, essential goods and convenience regardless of location.
Shopee connects buyers from urban centres to rural communities nationwide, enabling Malaysians to shop online with confidence.
A 1,955km delivery route has been established between Alor Setar, the state capital of Kedah, and Sandakan, a non-capital city. The route connects Peninsular and East Malaysia, enabling buyers to access sellers and shops across the country.
Access extends beyond convenience to affordability and relevance. Digital platforms can help households better manage cost pressures, especially for essential purchases.
In 2025, Shopee introduced a zero-commission initiative for sellers of essential and school-related items.
By removing platform fees for these categories, Shopee reinforced its commitment to keeping prices affordable, enabling more than one million families to better manage everyday expenses and maintain access to basic goods online.
The platform’s move complements broader efforts to ease cost-of-living pressures. Shopee also runs targeted community programmes.
In partnership with the Health Ministry, the Pek Kasih Mama initiative was launched in 2024 to help mothers and families access essential childcare and maternity items, with 1,000 care packages distributed through government health events.
Meanwhile, the Shopee Mum’s Club, established in 2019, provides parents with access to expert-led content, affordable products, exclusive vouchers, and regular Shopee Live sessions covering practical topics such as breastfeeding, child safety and parenting tips.
Creating new income streams
The digital economy opens new opportunities for Malaysians to earn a living.
Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) remain a cornerstone of Malaysia’s economy, and Shopee helps these local businesses thrive by offering seamless access to digital tools, training, and export programmes that strengthen their competitiveness.
In 2025, Shopee MSME sellers recorded a threefold year-on-year increase in sales, driven by strong demand across categories such as electronics, fashion, groceries, home appliances and hobbies.
To support long-term growth, that year, Shopee Malaysia invested over RM100mil towards MSME support initiatives.
The investment was channelled into programmes such as seller training through Shopee University, access to digital tools for store management, marketing and logistics, as well as onboarding support for sellers expanding into new markets.
Additionally, the Shopee International Platform (SIP), helped Malaysian sellers to reach overseas customers easily by providing cross-border logistics support, marketing tools and guidance on cross-border operations, resulting in a 150% year-on-year increase in cross-border trade, reaching markets like Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines.
There are further opportunities beyond online retail. Through ShopeeFood, food merchants and restaurants can digitise their operations, reach new customers, and remain competitive in a challenging operating environment.
At the same time, the delivery ecosystem provides flexible income opportunities for riders who rely on platform-based work to support their livelihoods, reflecting how digital platforms can accommodate diverse work preferences and life stages.
The digital economy has also given rise to new forms of entrepreneurship.
Shopee’s creator and affiliate ecosystem enables individuals to monetise content, recommendations, and influence, creating income opportunities with relatively low barriers to entry.
Since 2021, Shopee has welcomed over 23 million affiliates across the region, including Malaysia.
For Malaysians, this represents a modern extension of entrepreneurship – blending creativity with commerce in ways that align with personal strengths and circumstances.
Technology as an enabler
Shopee has invested in bringing AI directly to sellers through in-app tools tailored to help smaller businesses manage growing demand without additional resources.
This allows them to focus on scaling operations. To streamline day-to-day workflows, Shopee has introduced a range of practical AI capabilities that simplify routine tasks across the selling journey.
These include tools that optimise product listings and automate responses to common enquiries.
For example, AI-assisted listing tools help generate clearer product titles, descriptions and images with less manual effort, while customer service automation handles FAQs quicker and more consistently.
Shopee also provides diagnostic and insight tools that highlight potential listing issues and offer actionable recommendations, helping sellers stay compliant and competitive.
Today, many sellers use AI-enabled chat and automation features to handle common customer queries.
With 50% of customer chat sessions resolved through AI, sellers are able to provide faster customer service while reducing time spent on manual work.
Collaborating for national impact
Building a digital economy that delivers real benefits relies on public–private partnerships, which play an important role in ensuring that digital initiatives translate into practical support for local communities.
Shopee’s collaboration with the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) reflects a shared focus on easing cost-of-living pressures, while strengthening local livelihoods.
This was demonstrated at Shopee Rai Lokal: Jelajah Komuniti, held in November 2025, which was attended by KPDN Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali.
His presence highlighted the ministry’s support for initiatives that equip local communities with practical skills and knowledge in digital commerce.
Through a combination of digital commerce training, educational talks, and hands-on guidance, participants at the event were introduced to how e-commerce platforms can be used to access different income opportunities and grow their businesses.
This was complemented by the Shopee Payung Campaign held during Merdeka and Malaysia Day, where Shopee held targeted promotions and activities that encouraged all Malaysians to support local sellers and local products.
Collectively, these initiatives demonstrate how coordinated efforts between the public and private sectors can strengthen digital capabilities, support everyday livelihoods, and deliver tangible value to consumers and local communities.
Through its ecosystem of consumers, sellers, partners, and creators, Shopee continues to play its part in supporting Malaysians as they participate, earn, and grow within the digital economy – one household, one business, and one community at a time.
