KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has proposed three initiatives, including the Asean Franchise Accelerator Programme, to elevate Malaysia’s franchise ecosystem.
He said the programme could serve as a flagship initiative to groom local franchise brands through expert mentorship, access to funding and fast-tracked regional market entry.
The second initiative, he said, is the Asean University Franchise Business Challenge Programme, which gathers cutting-edge franchise concepts from university students across Asean, offering the best ideas to be adopted, nurtured and scaled by leading franchise players.
“The third will be celebrating World Franchise Day, a global event observed by all World Franchise Council (WFC) members every second week of June, honouring the impact and unity of the global franchise community through awareness programmes or conferences in Malaysia,” Ahmad Zahid said at the opening of the Asean Franchise Convention Declaration and the Franchise International Malaysia (FIM) Exhibition 2025.
He added that Malaysia’s franchise sector currently contributes over RM36bil to the gross domestic product (GDP) and provides more than 68,000 jobs, proving its significant potential.
He said the joint declaration signed by franchise associations from six Asean countries marks a historic commitment to regional collaboration in franchise development.
The declaration, read out by Asean Franchise Convention (AFC) director Deric Yeo, contained a commitment to ensuring Asean franchise sustainability, digitalisation and collaboration.
The event was also attended by Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick and his deputy, Datuk Seri R. Ramanan.
Ahmad Zahid said the ministry would also formulate a comprehensive Rural Youth Development Plan aimed at producing a digitally literate, knowledgeable and skilled young rural generation.
The plan would not only create jobs through the establishment of Rural Gig Hubs, but also nurture young leadership by appointing Rural Youth Ambassadors to serve as the voice and representative of the new rural generation.
Ahmad Zahid also urged the Community Development Department (Kemas) to strengthen engagement sessions with parents and educators to evaluate the impact of the Kemas Pre-Tahfiz Programme, which has been running for a year.
