By Amanda L
KUCHING, Aug 2: A RM370,000 funding request to complete Sarawak’s Women Entrepreneurship Dashboard (WED) alongside proposals for higher entrepreneurship grants and extended leadership programmes, is being considered under Sarawak Budget 2027.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the requests put forward by Minister for Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah would be taken into account in the State’s Budget 2027 planning.
“All the requests made by Fatimah earlier will be included in next year’s Budget 2027.
“The proposals include funding to complete the Women Entrepreneurship Dashboard (WED), increasing entrepreneurship grants for B40 women and women-headed households, raising the annual grant for the Sarawak Women and Family Council (MWKS) and extending the State-sponsored ASEAN Women Leadership University College (AWLUC) leadership programme,” he said.
He said this when speaking to reporters after officiating the Sarawak Women’s Day 2026 celebration here today.
Earlier in her speech, Fatimah outlined several areas where additional support could be directed towards women’s entrepreneurship, leadership development and the work of MWKS.
Among the proposals was RM370,000 to complete the WED, which is intended to serve as Sarawak’s first integrated digital platform for women entrepreneurs.
She said more than 3,000 women entrepreneurs had already been captured in the database, providing a basis for the State government to better understand the women entrepreneurship landscape and plan assistance and capacity-building programmes based on data.
“The proposed entrepreneurship grant for B40 women and women-headed households could also be increased from RM300,000 to RM1 million annually with the aim of enabling more women to start businesses and improve household incomes,” she added.
Fatimah also outlined a proposal to extend State sponsorship for the Master of Arts in Leadership Development programme at AWLUC in Penang for another five cohorts.
“For MWKS, I propose increasing its annual grant from RM54,400, which has remained unchanged since 1986 to RM544,000.
“The additional funding would support MWKS in coordinating women’s organisations across Sarawak and advising the State government on policies, legislation and programmes concerning women and families,” she said. — DayakDaily
