Special fund will empower Indian women in business

KUALA LUMPUR: The RM50mil allocated for Indian women entrepreneurs through the Prosperity Empowerment and A New Normal for Indian Women (PENN) programme is believed to be able to empower and secure the future of the group.

Malaysian Associated Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MAICCI) Women’s Wing head S.

Hemala said the fund is also a recognition of the struggle of Indian women entrepreneurs in Malaysia.

“Many Indian women need support, cooperation, guidance and even funds to develop their businesses and move forward,” she said in a statement yesterday, Bernama reported.

Last Saturday, Deputy Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Datuk Ramanan Ramakrishnan announced that Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM) has allocated a special fund of RM50mil to empower Indian women entrepreneurs through the PENN programme.

He noted that the allocation utilises AIM’s internal funds and would benefit over 7,100 new Sahabat Usahawan India, increasing the total beneficiaries of the Skim Pinjaman Ikhtiar AIM to 10,200, including 3,100 existing entrepreneurs.Commenting further, Hemala said MAICCI is ready to assist the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry as well as AIM to make the PENN programme a success through strategic collaboration, especially by holding awareness campaigns on the initiative.

“I am confident that more women entrepreneurs can be born through this programme, which will certainly have a significant impact on the country’s economic development,” she said.Members of Sahabat Usahawan AIM are now able to submit applications for the PENN programme at 124 AIM branch offices nationwide, which has been open since yesterday.