Orang asli entrepreneurs to get Government help

SEREMBAN: The Government will help orang asli entrepreneurs market their products at Rural Transformation Centres (RTCs) in the peninsula. The move will give them access to more markets, enable them to sell their products directly to the customer and set up a proper business network.

Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the move would help the ministry meet its objective of creating at least 600 orang asli entrepreneurs by the end of the 11th Malaysia Plan in 2020.

“Since we already have RTCs in every state, we will encourage the orang asli to market their products there. I am confident their products, which are of premium quality, will be well received by both locals and foreigners because these are unique to their community,” he said after launching the Orang Asli Entrepreneur Carnival at Seremban Prima here.

As of last year, the Government has helped 534 orang asli become entrepreneurs, he said.

“This year, we helped another 48 become entrepreneurs,” he said, adding that the Government has allocated RM20mil for the next five years for this goal.

Ismail Sabri said the ministry also plans to open more RTCs, to help the rural community market their products.

“We have one RTC in each state now,” he said, adding that the centres were usually set up at government-owned premises that were vacant.