KUALA LUMPUR, June 18 (Bernama)
More women in Malaysia are choosing entrepreneurship for a career despite the various challenges they face such as lack of financial support and competitiveness in the market, Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun said Thurasday.
She said the government was concerned about these challenges and the relevant ministries had been tasked to identify the factors which impeded one from progressing in business.
Chew said 99 per cent of the small and medium enterprise (SME) companies in the country were involved in the services, manufacturing and agricultural sectors and women owned 16 per cent of the companies, primarily in the services sector.
"Malaysian women entrepreneurs are also increasingly recognised as key players in the economy, in particular SMEs, and even earned recognition in many fields as they now headed several multi-national companies which used to be dominated by men," she said at the First Asia Women Business Power Conference at Technology Park Malaysia, here.
She said women could now gain access to various government grants and funds, including special assistance schemes through the Small and Medium Industries Development Corporation (Smidec).
Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said approval of entrepreneurship loans were easily granted to women than men."Women are always loving, reliable and emotional. These qualities have made them excel in business, especially in the services sector where women's participation is 89.5 per cent," he said when opening the conference.He said there was a change in the trend in society in the modern era and many family businesses were taken over by daughters instead of sons.Kong, who is also an MCA vice-president, said that in good or bad times, there was always the risk when it came to doing business on one's own and, as such, there was a need for passion and determination in order to succeed in business.
-- BERNAMA
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