USM in partnership with TERAJU to promote local food products in Jeddah

GEORGE TOWN, April 12 (Bernama) -- Local delicacies, including madu kelulut, pepper, palm sugar, salted ‘terubok’ fish and its roe, will soon be available in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia thanks to a strategic initiative between the Bumiputera Agenda Steering Unit (TERAJU) and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).

The Sarawak products will be the highlight of Sarawak Week, at Husam Waksa Foodmarket Sdn Bhd, Jeddah in mid-April as part of a collaboration involving TERAJU, the Prime Minister's Department and the Industry and Community Networking Division (BJIM), USM through the Sustainable Marketing for Community (SMART Community) programme under the Sarawak Bumiputera Entrepreneur Development Fund (DPUB) 2020.

SMART Community programme head, Syed Yusof Syed Kechik said DPUB Sarawak 2020 was part of the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP) and Third Rolling Plan (RP3) initiatives that aimed to strengthen inclusive development and the well-being of the people through the Quadruple Helix Model cooperation system involving government agencies, educational institutions, industry partners, and the public.

"By adapting this model, it has given a positive impact to Bumiputera entrepreneurs where locally produced community products have been successfully marketed not only domestically but also have penetrated international markets such as Saudi Arabia, Japan, China and the United States," he said in a statement today.

Meanwhile, Syed Yusof said the ‘Kedai Asia’ was the first Malaysian business entity to successfully open a retail space at Menara Jam Abraj Al-Bait in Mecca and was the first Malaysian-owned retail shop in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states to not only have a physical shop, but also conduct business online through smart apps.

He said the sales margin of Sarawak products placed at Kedai Asia had also increased by 68.1 per cent to the current revenue stream and currently the store had an area of 430 square feet with over 1,000 products.

Commenting further on the organisation of Sarawak Week in Saudi Arabia, TERAJU Chief Executive Officer, Md Silmi Abd Rahman said the project, which focused on regional and B40 Bumiputera inclusion in Sarawak, benefited more than 233 low-income Bumiputera (B40) entrepreneurs in Sarawak.

"This is in line with the Bumiputera Development Action (TPB 2030) of the next decade's Bumiputera Development Draft Plan developed by TERAJU and the National Entrepreneurship Policy 2030 (DKN 2030) that focus on the entrepreneurship sector as an effort to improve Malaysians’ living standards while utilising the entrepreneurial ecosystem offered by the government at its maximum," he said.

-- BERNAMA