31 August 2023

The activation was marked by a launch event that included the introduction of the PTU platform, which enables corporations and individuals to support the sales of local products, as well as training and creation of employment for villagers.

The PTU will first focus on empowering women entrepreneurs to uplift themselves and their communities via the digital economy, while subsequent phases will target youths and farmers, among others.

The launch – held at the MEASAT Teleport and Broadcast Centre in Cyberjaya, was officiated by Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Dato' Ramli Mohd Nor – the Member of Parliament for Cameron Highlands, who had previously attended the KampungDigital365.com launch at Pos Sinderut in Kuala Lipis. Also in attendance were representatives from the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), which is supporting the PTU, as well as from early contributors and partners of the PTU, such as SQV Sdn Bhd, Hanuara Partners Sdn Bhd, 4X4 Relief Malaysia and Syntrino Solutions Sdn Bhd.

“I am pleased to witness the start of the Program Transformasi Usahawan so soon after the launch of KampungDigital365.com. It is important to keep up the momentum of this initiative to improve digital economy access and drive development of our rural communities. As Malaysia celebrates its 66th Merdeka Day next week, it is indeed fitting to keep our fellow Malaysians in rural areas in mind and do our part to empower them and provide them a level playing field. I encourage both corporations and individuals to extend their support to the PTU, MEASAT and Parcel365 so we may tap on the digital economy potential within Malaysia’s villages,” said Dato' Ramli Mohd Nor, Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker and member of Parliament for Cameron Highlands.

Participants in the PTU will be provided startup capital, tools, and access to CONNECTme NOW high-speed broadband to get their business activities off the ground while being trained in eCommerce and marketing skills to sustain their businesses successfully.

In the first phase, the training is targeted at five Kampung Orang Asli (KOA) sites in Pahang, namely KOA Titom, KOA SOP, KOA Simoi Lama, KOA Sekam Batu 17 and KOA Kedut. The inaugural phase targets to train 125 entrepreneurs, which in turn supports 2,500 villagers from the Orang Asli community, at a projected investment of RM500,000 for all expenses across five months.

The PTU is also supported by MDEC’s Sharing Economy Programme, whereby MDEC empowers Malaysians by utilising crowdsourced assets, goods and skills, to help them generate income via digital platforms.

“As Malaysia's Rural Broadband Service Provider, we are committed to connecting rural communities nationwide to the benefits of reliable high-speed internet connectivity and creating an ecosystem to develop the digital economy in rural areas. In our empowerment efforts, we believe that women are a key demographic whereby elevating them also means empowering families and the community. Thus, we are rolling out Phase 1 of the PTU in partnership with Parcel365 with a focus on women entrepreneurs in rural areas,” said Yau Chyong Lim, chief operating officer, MEASAT.

“We are excited to progress to the next phase of KampungDigital365.com so quickly, and we hope that potential sponsors for the PTU will be as keen as we are to make a difference in the lives of rural Malaysians,” said Eddie Mok Yew Keong, co-founder and director of Parcel365. “We encourage everyone to explore ways to optimise the human resource and talent potential among the villagers, not just as sponsors but as customers offering sustainable business opportunities via the digital economy. Combined with the full suite of services offered by Parcel365 and our sister platforms, the villagers will in turn see positive change as their business opportunities grow.”