Benedick (second right) presenting the letter of appointment to Dompok.
KOTA KINABALU: Veteran Sabah politician Tan Sri Bernard Dompok has been appointed as the new SME Corporation (SME Corp) Malaysia chairman.
This marked the former Sabah chief minister’s first government position since being recalled from his last official post as ambassador to the Holy See (Vatican) when Pakatan Harapan took over the reins of the country in 2018.
The appointment was announced by Entrepreneurship and Cooperative Development Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick, who presented the letter of appointment to Dompok at the ministry office in Putrajaya on Tuesday (April 4).
SME Corp Malaysia is the central coordinating agency under Benedick’s ministry tasked with supervising the implementation of development programmes for small and medium enterprises across all related ministries and agencies.
With Dompok’s appointment, Benedick hoped that a new chairman and board members representing the Malay, Indian, Chinese, Kadazandusun and Dayak Chambers of Commerce will assist the government, particularly his ministry, to better serve SME entrepreneurs nationwide.
"Our ministry, especially in SME Corp Malaysia, faces a big challenge in meeting the various needs of entrepreneurs across the country," he said in a statement.
"But I believe that with a combination of new and existing leaders, SME Corp can provide better services to the people, especially entrepreneurs," said Benedick, who is also the president of Upko, a Pakatan component.
Other members of SME Corp Malaysia are Noor Afifah Abdul Razak, Datuk Dr Zunika Mohamed, Datuk Koong Lin Loong, Bell Aggan @ Bell Bernard Aggan, Datuk Ladislaus Maluda, Ter Leong Leng, Prof Datuk Dr Abdul Razak Omar and Cham Owi Tong.
Also present at the presentation ceremony were SME Corp chief executive officer Rizal Nainy and ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Suriani Ahmad.
Suriani said SME Corp Malaysia was one of the vital agencies in the development of entrepreneurship in addition to Tekun Nasional for micro-entrepreneurs and the National Institute of Entrepreneurship (Insken) and the Malaysia Cooperative Institute (Ikma).
"We are very proud and welcome Tan Sri Bernard Dompok as the new chairman. He is not only a well-known leader but has extensive experience in the administration of the country," he said.
Besides being a former chief minister, Dompok, the founder of Upko, served as the party’s top leader for some 20 years before stepping down in 2014.
He also served in the Federal Cabinet, as a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department as well as plantation industries and commodity minister during Barisan Nasional’s administration.
Benedick reiterated his commitment to helping micro, small and medium (MSME) entrepreneurs, cooperatives, hawkers and small traders throughout the country.
"I have told the people in the ministry that, without reducing its existing focus across the country, I want additional focus on Sabah and Sarawak.
"The Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) also often mentioned the need to give additional attention to Sabah and Sarawak," he said.
According to him, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had agreed that not only additional focus but extra budget should be provided to Sabah and Sarawak when he chaired the National MSME and Entrepreneur Development Council meeting recently.
"It's not that we're neglecting other areas (but) it's just that there is a greater need for us to help Sabah and Sarawak which have felt marginalised from... development, including in the field of entrepreneurship," Benedick said.
