Official launch: Ahmad Zahid officiating the opening ceremony of SME Venture@Asean 2025 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre in Kuala Lumpur. Also present were Ewon (third from left). — Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has called for the setting up of a OneAsean SME Movement to strengthen cooperation among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across the region and to drive inclusive economic growth.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said this would serve as a regional drive to connect entrepreneurs, investors and innovators throughout Asean, mainly in emerging sectors such as high technology, halal trade and digital services.
“Let this movement become the heartbeat of our regional economy, a catalyst that empowers our people, strengthens our resilience and propels Asean into the next frontier of growth,” he said at the opening of SME Venture@Asean 2025 here yesterday.
Ahmad Zahid said Asean, which is home to a vibrant market of 680 million people, offers vast potential for more than 70 million SMEs across the region.
However, despite being the economic backbone of Asean, contributing 44.8% to regional GDP and 85% to total employment, SMEs currently contribute only 18% to Asean’s total exports.
As such, he said platforms such as SME Venture@Asean 2025 were gateways for entrepreneurs to penetrate the strong Asean market and integrate more meaningfully into global value chains and regional trade frameworks.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, said the event also signified Malaysia’s readiness to be an anchor nation within the Asean business and trade ecosystem, with the pace of transformation demanding agility, foresight and courage.
At the national level, he said the government remains fully committed to propelling micro, small and medium enterprises to new heights of excellence and competitiveness through the Madani Economy Framework and National Entrepreneur Plan 2030.
He said the goal is to raise the proportion of medium-sized firms from 1.6% in 2024 to 5% by 2030 by scaling up enterprises and supporting internationalisation.
“A key strategy to realise this aim is to encourage more SMEs to venture beyond borders in order to expand their markets, explore new partnerships and unlock growth opportunities.
“This means internationalisation must become the new frontier for Malaysian SMEs,” he said, Bernama reported.
The event, organised by the Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Ministry and SME Corp Malaysia, drew participants from 18 nations, including all Asean member states.
The event aimed to enhance the exports of Malaysian SMEs, mainly within the Asean region, by bringing together key stakeholders, showcasing business capabilities, offering business matching opportunities and fostering networking and trade partnerships.
Also present at the launch were Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick and his deputy Datuk Seri R. Ramanan.
