E50 Awards Return With More Dynamic Revamp

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 12 (Bernama) -- The Enterprise 50 (E50) Awards, which recognise the achievements of Malaysia’s top 50 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), will return this year with a more dynamic revamp.

Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong said the E50 Awards will be held alongside the E50 Export Conference and E50 Biz Matching programme to encourage business opportunities, strengthen trade networks and support the export growth of local MSMEs.

“The E50 Export Conference will serve as a platform not only to discuss issues and challenges in penetrating export markets but also to explore new opportunities through regional and global trade agreements that E50 companies can leverage,” he said.

He said this in his speech at the launch of the E50 Programme for 2026 here today, which was also attended by SME Corp Malaysia chief executive officer Rizal Nainy.

Sim said the effort will be followed by the E50 Biz Matching programme, which will bring in buyers from within and outside the country to expand the supply chains of E50 companies.

He said the ability of MSMEs to adapt to market shifts and expand export activities is key to enhancing competitiveness and contributing to national economic growth.

“Therefore, I would like to see more local MSMEs penetrate global markets and elevate the value of the Malaysia brand, in line with the ‘Made by Malaysia’ initiative to ensure MSMEs remain competitive and contribute significantly to national economic development.

“I hope the E50 Awards organised by SME Corp Malaysia this year will further ignite the fighting spirit of MSMEs to achieve greater success,” he said.

Nominations for the E50 Awards will be open until July 31, while the highlight of the E50 Programme will be the E50 Awards Ceremony scheduled for October.

-- BERNAMA