'Mak Cun' brings Erma Fatima closer to entrepreneurship

KUALA LUMPUR, May 30 (Bernama) -- Erma Fatima has always been known as a famous actress cum director and producer of films and dramas, with her most significant Mak Cun drama series that revolves around the life of village woman who strives to achieve her dream as a successful entrepreneur.

Living up to her Mak Cun's character, Erma is now stepping into entrepreneurship by branching into marketing small and medium enterprises (SME) products such as food and handicraft items, with the latest being the Rumah Budaya or Culture House at the KL Tower.

“Now I'm moving farther from the entertainment world. I’ve already announced that I did not want to contest for the Anugerah Skrin award or be involved in drama or film anymore because now my heart is leaning more towards helping our local entrepreneurs.

“This spirit came from the Mak Cun drama series. It was from there that I learn the hardship of being an entrepreneur and making money. Now I'm more excited to go from one village to another, buy the SME products or help the SME entrepreneurs to sell it. It's a great pleasure for me,” she told reporters after the opening of the Culture House by Prime Minister's wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali recently.

The Culture House at the KL Tower is another platform for Erma to market the SME products apart from a shop at the Alor Setar Tower in Kedah.

She said the Culture House also provides various packages such as rental service for over 100 traditional costumes, cultural performance activities formulated especially for foreign tourists visiting the tower.

“It will be a one-stop centre where tourists can rent traditional attire as well as buying products from local entrepreneurs.

“I'm sure it will be a major attraction because the KL Tower receives about 3,000 tourists every day. InsyaAllah, we will open a few more shops like this in other tourist areas like Matic (Malaysia Tourism Centre), Central Market and the Heritage Park in Putrajaya,” she added.

Prior to this, Erma had also collaborated with SME entrepreneurs and opened the Mak Cun Mart in Ukay Perdana which offers more than 20 products, including food, fashion and beauty products.

Mak Cun Mart’s products are also available for online purchase at www.makcunmart.com.my.

In conjunction with the month of Ramadan and the upcoming Aidilfitri, Mak Cun Mart also offers various types of traditional women clothing, such as baju kurung, baju Kedah, kebaya, kebarung and jubah at reasonable prices.

In the meantime, Erma said that the Culture House was created from her sense of responsibility as an artist to preserve the Malay culture and customs as she saw the lack of exposure of it among the younger generation.

“If we visit Korea or Japan we are always eager to try their traditional costumes…we enjoy it...I saw the trend of the young people now, wanting to take up ballet classes, Taekwondo classes, but what about our culture?

“So if we do not protect and conserve our own culture, who will? I am worried about this. As someone who has been in the industry, I think it is also my responsibility to promote my culture to other people out there,” she said.

-- BERNAMA