Ashran: ‘We are leveraging on existing Government programmes to help bumiputra technopreneurs.’
KUALA LUMPUR: The New Entrepreneurs Foundation (myNEF) is investing RM50mil to assist at least 3,000 bumiputra technopreneurs to enhance their sustainability for the next three years.
MyNEF chairman Ashran Ghazi said the investment was wholly funded by the Government as part of its initiative to increase bumiputra involvement in business.
He said there were 14 programmes under its PUsh (Pemangkin Usahawan) initiative in collaboration with the Malaysian Association of Bumiputera ICT industry and Entrepreneurs (NEF) to create and grow sustainable information and communications technology (ICT) and creative businesses.
“We are leveraging on existing Government programmes to help bumiputra technopreneurs and our role is to facilitate and connect them to the right platforms,” Ashran said at a briefing on the PUsh initiative.
Based on research done by NEF, almost half of the 485 companies registered in its directory have annual incomes of less than RM200,000, and only 29% of them have access to the international market.
Under the PUsh initiative, which was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, one of the objectives is to grow technopreneurs and increase their revenue, which was between 30% and 40% for software-type companies and 10% and 20% for IT services-type firms.
At present, myNEF is collaborating with 12 partners for its PUsh initiative, including Telekom Malaysia Bhd, Agensi Inovasi Malaysia, UiTM and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission.
Ashran highlighted the Global Partnership Programme, one of the programmes listed under the PUsh initiative which aims to market ICT products to the regional market.
“Our focus markets include Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and the Philippines. Our role is to provide linkages to partners, customers and users of Malaysian ICT products and services in the selected countries,” he said.
To date, about 40 companies with 120 products have registered with myNEF. To engage more participation in its PUsh initiative, MyNEF plans to organise a roadshow, Karnival ICT & Kreatif (KIcK), nationwide, with the first venue planned at Fame Hotel, Seremban, on Sunday.
MyNEF is a non-profit organisation established by ICT and creative industry players in partnership with the Government. It was formed in 1997 as a support system and self-help group for technopreneurs.