SANDAKAN: Young women entrepreneurs are not only building businesses but also creating a greater social impact. Chairperson of the Sabah Institute for Development Studies (IDS) Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun said young women entrepreneurs in the district should seize the opportunities in this digital era to grow their businesses through e-commerce platforms and social media marketing.
She said that with Government support and a conducive economic environment, more young women are expected to succeed and contribute positively to the local community.
She emphasised that aspiring entrepreneurs could draw inspiration from many successful local entrepreneurs who had taken Sandakan-made products to the global stage, including in the food processing and handicraft sectors.
“Hard work and perseverance are the keys to success, as proven by many entrepreneurs who started small and achieved great success.
“With the Dayang Loan, I am confident that many young women entrepreneurs from the Sandakan district will be able to secure the loan and use it wisely to start, grow and expand their businesses,” she said.
She said this when officiating the Sabah Young Women Entrepreneurs Empowerment Programme: Women Power, Economic Power at Dewan Sri Libaran, here, on Wednesday.
Also present were SCC Deputy Chairperson Datuk Surinam Sadikun, IDS Sabah Chief Executive Officer Datuk Dr Rem Dambul, MPS President Walter Kinson, Senator Anna Bell Perian and programme participants.
Some 600 young entrepreneurs participated in the programme organised by the Sabah Institute for Development Studies (IDS) and the Sabah Credit Corporation (SCC), in collaboration with the Sandakan Municipal Council, and featured 25 exhibition booths by women entrepreneurs from Sandakan.
According to Azizah, based on available data, a total of 9,421 women entrepreneurs in Sabah received training from Mara in 2022.
She added that in 2024, there were 4,324 women entrepreneurs registered with the Ministry of Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Sabah (Mide), while a total of 8,031 women entrepreneurs were recorded under Mide.
Azizah said thousands of women entrepreneurs in Sandakan had been documented by various agencies and departments.
“It is hoped that some of the women entrepreneurs included in this data can be supported to grow their businesses through the Dayang Loan.
“The loan package under the Women’s Entrepreneurial Empowerment Programme (Dayang), introduced by the State Government through IDS and the Sabah Credit Corporation (SCC), specifically targets young women and is an innovative step focusing on the development of women entrepreneurs,” she said.
Azizah added that the Dayang Loan is another initiative by the State Government under Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, who has consistently and continuously sought ways to help the people of Sabah. Under his leadership, numerous forms of assistance have been implemented.
She said the people should be grateful and proud to have a Chief Minister who genuinely cares about helping the people of Sabah in many areas.
