KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 24 (Bernama) -- Eight outstanding online entrepreneurs, who benefited from the National Broadband Initiative, received the Broadband Empowered Enterpreneur Awards 2013 (BEE Awards 2013) Saturday.

BEE Awards 2013, organised by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, recognises the outstanding achievements of small entrepreneurs who managed to develop and transform their conventional businesses that previously only exists 'offline' to online.

MCMC chairman, Datuk Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi, said broadband proved that location was not an obstacle to progress in business.

"For entrepreneurs who are dedicated and brave to try something new, they managed not only to market their products throughout the country, but also around the world via Internet," he said at the award presentation ceremony here today.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak officiated the ceremony.

The entrepreneurs, who were involved in a wide-range of businesses from seaweed, accessories to traditional kuih were Kabilah Hassan, Zaidi Awang, Mohd Saiful, Maryanne Low, Zamri Wahid, Hirai Doshi, Rapeah Hassan and Noraishah Ariffin.

Meanwhile, Communications and Multimedia Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, said the digital lifestyle was expected to be the next major push in information and communications technology use to ensure better quality of life, better efficiency and competitiveness.

"For example, our everyday things at home which we are familiar with when attached or embedded with a miniature Internet device can respond to us with data about its status or condition," he said in his speech.