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April 15, 2009 13:08 PM
'Buy Malaysia' Campaign Not A Half-hearted Attempt
JOINING THE COMPETITION... Entrepreneur Zaleha Mohamad showing bottles of Roselle cordial produced by her company, now available at Mydin Wholesale Hypermarket USJ in Subang Jaya. "After three years, I am now able to see my products on the display shelves in the hypermarket," she said. Pic: BERNAMABy Melati Mohd Ariff
KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 (Bernama) -- For many among the Malaysian entrepreneurs, there is always an aspiration to see their products being offered for sale on the shelves at hypermarkets nationwide.
For Zaleha Mohamad, an entrepreneur of Roselle products, this dream came true via the 'Buy Malaysia' campaign organised by the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry held at the Mydin Wholesale Hypermarket USJ, Subang Jaya near here.
"After three years, I am now able to see my products on the display shelves in the hypermarket," Zaleha a former researcher at Universiti Pertanian Malaysia's (UPM) food technology division told Bernama at the Mydin Wholesale Hypermarket USJ, Subang Jaya recently.
GOVERNMENT'S STRATEGY
The Buy Malaysia Campaign launched by the then prime minister Datuk Seri (now Tun) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi last Jan 16 was not only the government's strategy to enhance the domestic market for such products amidst the current economic slowdown.
The campaign is also to 'open doors' and provide opportunities for local entrepreneurs like Zaleha who might have been marginalised during the rapid growth of supermarket and hypermarket chains in the country.
This campaign also provides the opportunity for the Malaysian entrepreneurs to prove their capability in producing quality products with consistent supply.
The campaign began at the Mydin Mall in USJ, before being held at the Aeon Jusco AU2 Kuala Lumpur (Feb 17-March 1), Giant (Putra Height, Kuala Lumpur) on March 2 followed by Tesco in Melaka (March 14-22).
Datuk Mohamed Elias Abu Bakar, the Director for Development Division of the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry said the campaign would be continued nationwide until end of this year.
Under the ministry's plans, the campaign would be held next in Sandakan, Sabah (April 10-15), Terengganu (April 23-27), Johor (May 6-10), Kudat, Sabah (May 10-14), Ipoh, Perak (May 29-June 2), Tuaran, Sabah (June 2-7), Kuantan, Pahang (June 10-14), Sibu, Sarawak (June 27-29), Tawau, Sabah (July 1-5), Negeri Sembilan (June 23-27), Miri, Sarawak (July 30-Aug 1), Bintulu, Sarawak (Aug 28-30)and Kuching, Sarawak (Oct 29-21).
"This campaign is open to changes. The ministry also plans to hold the Mega Buy Malaysian Goods Campaign in Kuala Lumpur in June or July.
"It is hoped that this campaign would boost the domestic spending and helps traders during the economic slowdown.
"If this happens, it would reduce our dependency on foreign-made products," Mohamed Elias told Bernama in his office at Putrajaya recently.
OPPORTUNITIES
Various products would be on sale throughout the Buy Malaysia Campaign including foodstuff, garments, electrical appliances and furniture.
On the selection of entrepreneurs and products, the ministry focuses on items produced in the state where the campaign is held apart from giving participation to the business fraternity from other states.
"Our focus is definitely on introducing quality and branded local products that are unfamiliar to the public. We hope many would be aware that there are quality Malaysian goods that have garnered a reputation abroad. An example is the canned drinks produced by syarikat Metro Perda Sdn Bhd.
"We also hope that this effort would be a boost to the domestic economy. If there are no domestic purchase, companies might have to fold up and workers retrenched," said Mohamed Elias.
For entrepreneurs picked to participate in the campaign, such opportunity is actually difficult to obtain. It is also cost saving, as participation is free of charge.
Mohamed Elias said the ministry allocates booths apart from providing logistics needs as well as advertisement and promotions.
"Renting a booth in the supermarkets or hypermarkets could be costly, as it might run to thousands of Ringgit a month. This campaign only requires them to come and sell their products," he said.
Mohamed Elias also invited entrepreneurs who have yet to participate in the campaign to sign up.
They only need to contact the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry's Business Development Division in Putrajaya or the respective state offices.
"If their products meet the stipulated criteria, we would invite them to participate in the campaign," he said, adding that the campaign might be extended after 2009 depending on the global economic situation.
NOTHING NEW
Shoppers who visit the Mydin Mall in Subang Jaya could view for themselves the various Malaysian-made products that lined the hypermarket's shelves.
Special ledges were also set aside for small and medium enterprises (SME) products from the respective states in Malaysia.
This initiative according to the merchandising manager for Mydin Mohamed Holdings Bhd, Norman Rajen Abdullah, is nothing new.
He said Mydin, that started its wholesale and retail business more than 50 years ago, has always given its priority on the locally made goods including that of the SMEs.
"We have long practised the principle of assisting the Bumiputera entrepreneurs particularly those who face various bureaucracies with supermarkets or hypermarkets.
"The government has taken the initiative to hold this campaign amidst this current economic crisis and has spent a lot of money on it. Publicity on it is also done through the print media, radio and television. As retailers we should also show our support towards making the programme a success," said Norman.
He said almost 80 per cent of the food items at Mydin are locally made despite some bearing international brands.
"The Buy Malaysia Campaign is more on goods made in Malaysia. There are international brands but made in this country where this provides jobs for Malaysians," said Norman.
TAGS AND SMEs
Mydin went a step ahead by placing 'Buy Malaysia' or 'Malaysian Product' tags to enable shoppers to identify the locally made goods.
"Not everybody have the time to read what is being written on the labels. The tags would help the shoppers to easily identify the Malaysian products.
"We also have many SME products. For the foodstuff alone, we have some 1,500 (types of products) and around 4,000 for the non-food items," he said.
He said many of the SME products are on par in terms of quality when compared against other products, to some extent are better than the branded goods.
He said the turnover of SME products (food and non-food) has shown encouraging results.
"Last year we recorded a turnover of RM53.4 million as compared to RM27 million in 2007 and RM16 million in 2006. This year we expect a turnover between RM65 million and RM70 million," he said.
HELP THE ENTREPRENEURS
Apart from helping to sell and market the SME products, Mydin also assists the entrepreneurs, among others, by providing courses on awareness and halal practices.
For the course on halal practices, Mydin is collaborating with the Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC).
"The cost to attend such a course is about RM950-RM1,000 but we only charge RM100 for a two-day course including food and lodging," said Norman adding that Mydin provides the premises for training while HDC, the manpower.
He said Mydin hopes the entrepreneurs who attended the Halal practices course to benefit from the programme and produce goods that have the best quality including the halal certificate.
"As a company owned by Bumiputera and Muslims, our operation is based on Islam and we want Mydin to be the first hypermarket to obtain halal accreditation from HDC," he said.
"Holding halal courses for SME operators is part of our efforts towards obtaining that recognition," he said.
In Norman's viewpoint, the Buy Malaysia is able to inculcate patriotism among the Malaysians.
"We should emulate the Japanese who always give priority to their goods and strongly support their companies. This patriotism spirit should be inculcated at the young age, right from the primary school level," he said.
MOVE TO CHANGE
Besides the government-provided opportunities to boost the image of local products via the Buy Malaysia Campaign, the entrepreneurs themselves should strive towards improving their capability to control the domestic market and use it as a springboard into the international market.
Zakaria Ismail, the owner of Metro Perda Sdn Bhd that produces the 'Perda' canned drinks, said the Malay entrepreneurs should themselves make a paradigm shift if they wish to progress in the field.
"The brand of the Malay products usually could not last long as many were buried as we do not wish to advance, half-hearted attempts and easily contented. When can we progress?
"There were instances when the Malay retailers themselves were not confident with the products made by their own people. It was heartrending to witness this attitude.
"We were treated with harsh words when we approached our own kind to sell the products. The Malays do not have the spirit to help their own kind," said Zakaria.
Perda's products are also featured at the Mydin Wholesale Hypermarket USJ, Subang Jaya.
Zakaria said the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry has done a lot to promote the items made by the Malay entrepreneurs.
"But for how long the Malay entrepreneurs should do their business at stalls or fields at expositions?" he asked. In Zakaria's opinion, the government should not only 'unearth' the entrepreneurs but also educate them to be quality and reliable entrepreneurs.
-- BERNAMA
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