Sarawak Entrepreneurs Told To Venture Abroad

KUCHING, April 12 (Bernama) -- Entrepreneurs in Sarawak should export their products and services to overseas markets rather than just focusing on the state or Peninsular Malaysia, said Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Mukhriz Tun Mahathir.

He said Sarawak entrepreneurs had certain inherent strengths and advantages and that they should go to international markets like Indonesia, the Philippines and Brunei.

"They can ship their products or market the services to these neighbouring countries as they are a ready market for Sarawak-made products," he told Bernama after visiting the Micro-Financing Open Day, jointly organised by SME Corporation Malaysia and Sarawak's Ministry of Industrial Development here today.

Mukhriz also urged entrepreneurs in Sarawak to be involved in programmes organised by Miti and its agencies to enable them to expand into new markets.

"Sarawak has much to offer and it is now our task to facilitate on how to penetrate new export markets which is a specialty of the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade)," he said.

Mukhriz said that although Sarawak was moving on the right track to expand its markets, there was still ample room for expansion, for example in the services sector whereby Sarawak could be a great contributor in terms of tourism revenue.

"Sarawak has a very special attraction that you cannot find anywhere else. Because of its size, Sarawak needs more variety to expand not only concerning the natural environment but also the cultural.

"We can also look to Sarawak as a place to expand agriculture as it already has rice growing areas. The role of Kedah for long time as the rice bowl of Malaysia will be taken over by Sarawak because of its land size," he said.

Mukriz said Sarawak had the potential to become an exporter of agricultural products as other states were running out of land for further expansion.

He also pointed out the vital role played by the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE), where renewable energy as a new focus for Sarawak, would contribute greatly in moving Malaysia towards Vision 2020 (developed nation status). -- BERNAMA

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