GO GLOBAL, SABAH BUSINESSMEN TOLD

Go global, Sabah businessmen told

KOTA KINABALU April 23, 2012: Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman has challenged Sabah entrepreneurs to go global.

Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman (second from right) visiting the Amanahraya booth.

He said he had visited more than 80 countries  in his three years as the foreign affairs minister but  he had yet to meet a businessman from Sabah at business meetings.

"Sometimes, during these trips, I came across  more than 40 Malaysian businessmen, but what is saddening is that not one of them is from Sabah.

"This is certainly a big challenge for you. You must prove that Sabahans  can also do well," he told participants at the Malaysian Industrial Development Finance Bhd's (MIDF) Entrepreneur Symposium, held in conjunction with Minggu Amanah Saham Malaysia 2012 (MSAM) here yesterday.

Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) and MIDF co-hosted the event, aimed at helping the communities here to be aware of business opportunities and to provide the chance for local entrepreneurs to be more competitive.

"I would like to seek PNB and MIDF's support to assist Sabah businessmen to expand their markets."

Anifah said  it was difficult to obtain capital to start a business in the 1970s and 1980s.

"When we wanted to borrow  money from the bank, we had to provide a collateral, which was usually valued higher than the amount we wanted to borrow.

"So back then, it was not only difficult to start a business, but it was almost virtually impossible to expand the business.

"Today, all of you are lucky because of the facilities and incentives offered by the governement and  Malaysian Industrial Development Finance Bhd. Things are much easier."