The SME & Entrepreneurship Business Award, Premier Edition 2017/2018 is now back with its second edition, promising to unveil the crème de la crème of companies, entrepreneurs and startups operating in Malaysia. The award nominations have been met with uproarious reception – recording over 300 submissions, mostly coming from export-driven manufacturing and consumer services industries. Both sectors have accounted for over 47% of total submissions out of a grand total of 15 other industry categories altogether.
The SME & Entrepreneurship Business Award is a joint effort between Yayasan Usahawan Malaysia (MyPreneurship) and event curator Hitman Solutions. According to Nitesh Malani, Founder of MyPreneurship, “The positive response to the SME & Entrepreneurship Business Award 2017/2018 proves that the Malaysian entrepreneurial ecosystem is thriving with strong Government support, with 2017 being designated as the Startup and SME Promotion Year. There are other Government initiatives in the 11th Malaysian Plan 2016-2020, Digital Free Trade Zone pact, the 2050 National Transformation and the list goes on. MyPreneurship hopes that the SME & Entrepreneurship Business Award will be able to support in these initiatives and bridge public-private partnerships towards Malaysia’s progress and sustenance.”
Malani adds, “More than just awards and events, we are an integral link within the ecosystem – connecting and collaborating to create an innovation-driven, growth-centric business landscape.”
The awards is seen as a catalyst for entrepreneurs and a shining opportunity to recognize their entrepreneurial successes and efforts. Besides that, the awards creates a powerful platform on which entrepreneurs can meet, network and share business acumen with one another.
MyPreneurship’s key collaboration with the Advisory Board and strategic partners such as HRDF, Cheng & Co and Malaysia SME newspaper, is aimed at empowering companies towards greater growth and to contribute to Malaysia’s economic sustainability.
Comprising corporate and business personalities that are well known for their significant achievements and prolific insights in the industries, the awards’ Advisory Board comprises Shafie Ahmad (Vice President, MyPreneurship Foundation), Datuk Dr A.T. Kumararajah (CEO, SEED Secretariat, Prime Minister’s Department), Dato’ CM Vignaesvaran Jeyandran (CEO, Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF)), Roen Cian Nagapan (Entrepreneur, The Roof & New Camp), Zhariff Affandi (Founder, Gemilang Usahawan) and Dr. Zyro Wong (Founder & CEO, ZW Consultancy).
During its last edition, the SME & Entrepreneurship Business Award crowned outstanding individuals such as Tan Sri Dr. Tony Fernandes CBE (Entrepreneur: Lifetime Achievement Award), Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah (Entrepreneur Activist of The Year), Patrick Grove (Entrepreneur of the Year), Neelofa (Celebrity Entrepreneur of The Year), Nazreem Musa (Most Innovative Young Entrepreneur) and Dato’ Seri Maziah Binti Hj Musa (Women Entrepreneur Excellence).
The last edition also saw some winning SMEs that have made an impact in core areas of excellence namely Pointray (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (Most Enterprising Company), Talk Focus Sdn Bhd or Tron Mobile Virtual Network Operator (Management Transformation), AXG Industries Sdn Bhd (Strategic Growth) and YM Consultants Sdn Bhd (Most Tactical Corporation).
The SME & Entrepreneurship Business Award, Premier Edition 2017/2018 is now in its final stage of nomination process with both qualitative and quantitative audits being conducted by independent parties. The gala award event will be held in October 2017.
Yayasan Usahawan Malaysia (MyPreneurship) is a non-government organisation established with a mission to gather, create and develop sustainable companies with strong entrepreneurship traits. The organisation aims to build credibility by serving as a platform that supports the development of companies across all businesses. MyPreneurship offers programmes that are tailored with business entities’ best interests in mind to ensure that they can achieve their goals while maintaining core values.
