Govt aims to empower MSMEs and local traders to share in economic growth, Armizan says

The government aims to empower MSMEs and local traders to enhance their contribution to national economic growth, recognising a gap between overall growth and grassroots conditions.

Strong domestic demand and efforts to promote local products are key factors in sustaining economic growth, with a focus on expanding market access for Malaysian brands globally.

A Cabinet Committee on Empowering the Use and Purchase of Local Products has been formed to address MSME challenges and promote local economic participation through strategic initiatives like the Jom Malaysia Festival.

BATU KAWAN, Sept 20 — The government wants to empower micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and local traders so they can become key contributors to national economic growth and benefit from sustained economic expansion, said Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali.

He said the move was important amid views that a gap existed between the country’s economic growth and conditions on the ground.

“Malaysia’s gross domestic product grew 3.7 per cent in 2023, 5.1 per cent in 2024 and 5.2 per cent in 2025 under the Madani government. In 2026, growth reached six per cent as of the second quarter.

“There are now views that a gap exists between the country’s economic growth and conditions at the grassroots level. That is why the government sees the need to empower the people-focused agenda, including MSMEs and traders across various sectors, so they can also become key components of national economic growth,” he told reporters after officiating the Jom Malaysia Festival Penang 2026 at Batu Kawan Stadium here today.

Armizan said strong domestic demand and sustained household spending were among the factors supporting consistent economic growth, adding that the government wanted local products to also become an important component of that growth.

He said efforts to promote local products went beyond encouraging Malaysians to buy locally made goods, as they also aimed to build confidence in Malaysian brands and expand market access from the domestic market to national, regional and global markets.

“The agenda to promote the use and purchase of local products has now been elevated to a national priority and is being implemented in a more structured manner through a whole-of-nation approach involving ministries, government agencies, industry players, entrepreneurs, retailers, digital platforms, the media and the public,” he said.

Armizan said the Cabinet had on July 15 agreed to establish the Cabinet Committee on Empowering the Use and Purchase of Local Products, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister II Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, with the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry as its secretariat.

The committee’s terms of reference have been finalised and it is now ready to hold its first meeting, he said, adding that it would also examine challenges faced by MSMEs, including the influx of goods sold through online platforms.

Meanwhile, Armizan said Jom Malaysia, a strategic transformation of the Buy Malaysian Goods Campaign (KBBM), which has been running since 1984, was not a one-off programme.

Instead, the festival is one of the mechanisms to foster economic patriotism and build confidence in Malaysian products, he said.

The four-day Jom Malaysia Festival Penang, which began on Sept 17 and ends tomorrow, is the third and final edition for this year.

It features the RAHMAH Madani sales programme, local product booths, government agency exhibitions and the 2026 Consumer Festival (CONFEST). — Bernama

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政府旨在赋能中小微企业和本地商户，以增强其对国家经济增长的贡献，并认识到整体增长与基层状况之间存在差距。

强劲的国内需求和推广本地产品的努力是维持经济增长的关键因素，重点是扩大马来西亚品牌在全球的市场准入。

为了应对中小微企业面临的挑战，并通过“Jom Malaysia”节等战略举措促进当地经济参与，已成立了“促进本地产品使用和购买内阁委员会”。

峇都加湾，9月20日讯——国内贸易及生活成本部长拿督阿米赞·莫哈末·阿里表示，政府希望赋能微型、小型和中型企业（MSMEs）以及本地贸易商，使他们能够成为国家经济增长的关键贡献者，并从持续的经济扩张中受益。

他表示，鉴于目前普遍认为该国经济增长与实际情况之间存在差距，此举意义重大。

“在马达尼政府的领导下，马来西亚2023年国内生产总值增长了3.7%，2024年增长了5.1%，2025年增长了5.2%。截至2026年第二季度，增长率已达到6%。”

“现在有人认为，国家经济增长与基层状况之间存在差距。因此，政府认为有必要加强以人为本的议程，包括扶持中小微企业和各行各业的贸易商，使他们也能成为国家经济增长的关键组成部分。”他今天在槟城峇都加湾体育场为2026年“携手马来西亚”节揭幕后对记者说。

阿米赞表示，强劲的国内需求和持续的家庭支出是支撑经济持续增长的因素之一，并补充说，政府希望本地产品也能成为经济增长的重要组成部分。

他表示，推广本地产品的努力不仅限于鼓励马来西亚人购买本地制造的商品，其目的还在于建立人们对马来西亚品牌的信心，并将市场准入从国内市场扩大到国家、区域和全球市场。

他说：“促进使用和购买本地产品的议程现已提升为国家优先事项，并通过涉及各部委、政府机构、行业参与者、企业家、零售商、数字平台、媒体和公众的全国性方法，以更加系统的方式实施。”

阿米赞表示，内阁已于7月15日同意成立内阁委员会，负责加强对本地产品的使用和采购，由第二副首相拿督斯里法迪拉·尤索夫担任主席，国内贸易和生活成本部担任秘书处。

他表示，委员会的职权范围已经最终确定，现在准备召开第一次会议。他还补充说，委员会还将审查中小微企业面临的挑战，包括通过在线平台销售的商品涌入市场。

与此同时，阿米赞表示，“Jom Malaysia”是对自 1984 年以来一直在进行的“购买马来西亚商品运动”（KBBM）的战略转型，并非一次性计划。

他表示，该节日反而是培养经济爱国主义精神和建立对马来西亚产品信心的机制之一。

为期四天的槟城马来西亚节于9月17日开幕，将于明日闭幕，这是今年的第三届也是最后一届。

活动包括RAHMAH Madani促销活动、本地产品展位、政府机构展览以及2026年消费节（CONFEST）。——马新社

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