KUCHING, June 10: SME Corp Malaysia, an agency under the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry (Medac), has appointed Bell Bernard Aggan as its member of the corporation effective June 1, making him the first Iban to occupy the position.
Medac Minister Dato Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the appointment was timely, especially to assist Sarawak small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in facing the challenges and uncertainties due to Covid-19.
He added that with more than 40 per cent of its people still living in rural areas, Sarawak’s entrepreneurs certainly requires a different set of assistance and incentives than their counterparts in West Malaysia.
“Many Sarawak SMEs are still unaware of the many assistance made available for them by the Federal government.
“In addition to this, there is also a crucial need to help them to digitalise their operations.
“Hopefully, Bell’s appointment can help provide much needed insight to the agency to enable them to understand the challenges and circumstances there and subsequently be able to come up with programmes and assistance tailored for Sarawak SMEs,” he said in a statement.
Bell, who is also an entrepreneur, holds a Bachelor of Science Degree In Business Management from Oklahoma City University, USA.
He is currently the treasurer general for the Dayak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI).
Meanwhile, SME Corp has also appointed Dr Zunika Mohamed from the Economic Planning Unit (EPU), Prime Minister’s Department as its member of the corporation, effective June 1.
Dr Zunika, who had been in public service for almost 30 years, is currently EPU Deputy Director General (Macro). She holds a PhD in Economics from Universiti Pertanian Malaysia. — DayakDaily
