Thrust 5: Leading Change and Transformation; Promotion of New Sub-Sectors of the Future:
By the year 2013, we will have changed and transformed the business community in Malaysia to be one of the “best and most competitive”. Across the nation, businesses will have achieved the following:

a. More will move up the business value chain;
b. More will become global companies;
c. More will become public-listed companies;
d. More will be active in new and/or vibrant industry sub-sectors such as ICT, modern agriculture, biotechnology, logistics, telecommunications and oil & gas.

MCA will invest in new and superior models to achieve these objectives and leverage on its size, linkages and resources to deliver such services to the Chinese community. MCA will lead in the change and transformation of SME businesses and facilitate more research and development efforts by linking MCA institutions of higher learning and polytechnics with businesses to generate effective and superior innovations. Our competitive edge will be our unmatched ability to transfer technology and act on collective experiences and innovation to create a vibrant business community.

MCA will be viewed as the benchmark for facilitating business growth. We will build consensus for a national policy direction that will promote and reward a vibrant business community.


Core Outputs of this Blueprint:

1) Moving SMEs up the value chain;

2) Improve competitiveness;

3) Promote new economic sub-sectors:

a. Creative multimedia and animation

b. Mobile and broadband content services

c. Modern Agriculture

d. Retail and Food Franchising

e. Oil and gas

f. Women entrepreneurship

A) Leading change and transformation of existing SMEs
MCA will identify deserving industries and SMEs to assist them in moving up the value chain. Leveraging on its economic development organisations, MCA will introduce a programme to transform existing SMEs by helping them gain new insights into new product development, new technologies, ICT acculturation, management skills, innovation, marketing, branding, packaging and market access.

B) Promoting New Industry Sub-sectors
MCA will focus on developing key new industry sub-sectors and identify specific industries and SMEs to nurture and assist such that they can excel. MCA will systematically leverage on its resources, networks, size and linkages to ensure the success of this economic development programme.

i) Creative Multimedia and Animation
MCA will set up a Centre of Excellence for Creative Multimedia and Animation to encourage and nurture more creative entrepreneurs in the Chinese community. A Special Interest Group (SIG) will be created to advance the development of this sector, backed by MCA’s economic development agency, MIRC Incubator Sdn Bhd.

Through MCA’s MIRC Incubation Programme, a structured plan will be put in place to ensure that creative technopreneurs will have the facilities, technical knowledge, business skills, creative talents and funds to achieve success.

MCA will identify ten (10) potential companies to participate in this programme and nurture them into global companies capable of providing creative animation content to the world.

To achieve this, MCA will leverage on its resources; for example, MIRC Incubator can provide the facilities and technical knowledge; MDeC will help in capability development; UTAR on creative and business management skills, and StarIT on funding. Through its business linkages, MCA will help provide market access for local creative talents to showcase their works in foreign markets such as China and South Korea.

ii) Mobile and Broadband Content Services
MCA, through MIRC Incubator, will create a Special Interest Group (SIG) to advance the development of the mobile and broadband content business among Chinese technopreneurs. The setting up of a SIG will be preceded by an Incubation Programme set up to develop and nurture technopreneurs in this area.

Through the Incubation Programme, technopreneurs will be provided with facilities, technical knowledge, market access and funding. MCA, through its business linkages, will strive to facilitate local and overseas market access for companies in this sector, working alongside MDeC on capability development, UTAR for creative talent and StarIT for funding.


iii) Modern Agriculture
MCA intends to be at the forefront in the development of aquaponics (aquaculture plus hydroponics) technology. Through its collaboration with UTAR and with an agricultural base of 450 New Villages and other rural areas, technology can be developed such that local farmers can benefit from modern agriculture techniques.

It is also our plan to offer financially viable, value-added business models to encourage producers to switch to environmentally friendly food production through modern technology, processing and branding. MCA will help local farmers brand, package and market the aquaponic products under a common brand name to ensure that premium prices can be obtained for the produce. At the same time, MCA also sees this initiative as providing a healthy and safe food source for consumers.

This business model can be offered to vegetable farmers, fishermen, as well as pig farmers who are looking for more profitable and environmentally responsible farming methods compared to traditional modes of farming which are generally low in value.

Since these are community–based projects, MCA has identified several suitable areas for cultivation and will begin pilot projects in Sekinchan and the Kinta Valley area. It is hoped that the success of the pilot programme will spawn more aquaponics ventures over the next five years.

iv) Retail Food Franchising
Malaysian cuisine is the perfect representative of Malaysia as a melting pot of cultures. With this in mind, MCA intends to develop the food industry by nurturing more Chinese food entrepreneurs and food technologists who can showcase Malaysian cuisine to the world.

MCA will set up a programme to develop more Chinese food-related businesses, especially in the retail food sector, particularly in the area of franchising. MCA, through MIRC Incubator Sdn Bhd, will create a “Kitchen Incubation” programme to train food technologists as well as restaurateurs among the Chinese community.

New and innovative franchise brands will be created under this programme as a means to help young Malaysians and women entrepreneurs get a foothold in the retail food sector.

Franchising is also a means to promote Malaysian food culture to the world. Through its training linkages with KTAR’s School of Hospitality Management, MCA can help implement good practices in food preparation, hygiene, etiquette and technology.

The “Kitchen Incubator” will also encourage further research and development on food technology to bring unique home-cooked recipes to the global market. By offering shared resources such as canning, packaging and market access, MCA hopes to encourage home-workers to start small businesses exporting traditional Malaysian food products to the world.

v) Women Entrepreneurship
MCA will encourage women entrepreneurship by creating a programme to develop, nurture and equip women entrepreneurs with business management skills as well as facilitate micro-funding schemes for deserving women entrepreneurs. The women entrepreneurship programme will be linked to the above sub-sector so that improved entrepreneurial skills can be customised for women’s needs and their circumstances. As home-based businesses are best suited for most women, attention and resources will be allocated to each of the above sub-sectors to allow greater participation from women in these MCA-driven projects.

A Women Entrepreneurs Incubation programme will be set up to assist women entrepreneurs in the areas of facilities, business management skills, funding and market access. Leveraging on its various economic development organisations and the Wanita wing, and working together with the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development and the Ministry of Finance, MCA will strive to bring about a real transformation for women, ensuring their role as an integral part of the national economy.

vi) Oil and Gas Sector
As mentioned earlier, MCA will work through its skills training arm, KOJADI Institute, to offer courses to help develop internationally recognised certification of basic skills focused on early school leavers. It will be targeted at the disadvantaged segment of society as part of capacity building for this group. It is envisaged that this long-term initiative will eventually lead to increased participation by more Malaysians in the oil and gas sector around the world.