As Malaysia continues to strengthen its domestic investment ecosystem, empowering local enterprises to grow, compete and integrate into global supply chains remains a key priority. In support of this agenda, MIDA and HLB Islamic organised an Entrepreneur Forum themed “Pengukuhan Usahawan Bumiputera Di Wilayah Utara: Perspektif Dasar Dan Trend Pasaran Semasa” in Sungai Petani, Kedah.

The forum brought together approximately 250 SME entrepreneurs from Kedah, Penang, Perak and Perlis, providing SMEs a platform to connect with financing opportunities, market access strategies and government support programmes.

Participants gained insights on sustainable financing, export readiness, e-invoicing implementation and financing facilitation from agencies including MATRADE, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), Syarikat Jaminan Pembiayaan Perniagaan (SJPP) and Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri Malaysia (LHDNM). MIDA also shared updates on the New Incentive Framework (NIF) and the Malaysia-Singapore Third Country Business Development Fund (MSBDF), while HLB Islamic highlighted initiatives such as BizDagang and Greening Halal Business.

A key highlight was the panel discussion, “Memacu Juara Bumiputera: Akses dan Peluang Pembiayaan, Akses Pasaran, dan Rantaian Bekalan Global”, featuring representatives from HLB Islamic, TERAJU, MARA, SME Corp. Malaysia and VentureTECH. The programme reflects the shared commitment of MIDA, HLB Islamic and the Kedah State Government to strengthen the competitiveness of local enterprises and support their participation in regional and global value chains.