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Kota Kinabalu: Local small entrepreneurs at the Inspirasi Beli Barangan Malaysia programme said government-organised trade events have helped boost their sales and widen their reach, with some Sabah products now finding buyers as far as Australia.

Eddy Abdul, a small local entrepreneur who owns a hand-woven Siga business based in Kota Belud, said the programme helped him reach customers far from his home base. 

“Normally I operate in Kota Belud, but when I come to Kota Kinabalu with wider marketing exposure, it helps me expand my market,” he said when met at his stall. 

Eddy was among small local entrepreneurs invited to participate in the programme hosted by the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry at the Sabah International Convention Centre. 

The opening ceremony was officiated by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor. 

Eddy said he received orders for his product from as far as Australia after buyers spotted the event online. 

“People working there saw this activity, contacted me and asked me to ship Siga there,” he said.

He said the business was rooted in his family’s heritage. His mother had been weaving and making Siga since he was around 15 years old, a tradition now spanning roughly 25 years. 

“Even though I am not fortunate enough to work with any government department, I took the opportunity from what my mother was doing and made it my full-time job,” he said. 

“It has helped my own economy. I am not tied to any employer and I can manage my life without too much pressure,” he said, adding that about 85 per cent of the materials used in his products are sourced from other local Sabahan suppliers.

Small local entrepreneur, Mohd Ali, owner of Lados, a local sambal and condiment brand, said the support from the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry had made a real difference. 

“The Ministry has opened many opportunities for us and boosted our sales,” he said, adding that their tuhau product has become a trend. 

“Visitors to Sabah, especially those from the Peninsula, now make it a souvenir,” he said. 

He said this was not the first time he had been invited to take part in government-organised events, pointing out that he had previously joined the Karnival Beli Barangan Malaysia in Ranau, Kuching and Pahang, where all his products sold out. 

“We brought many items to Kuching expecting that whatever did not sell, we would give to agents. But everything sold out,” he said.

He added that besides the Ministry, other agencies including Fama under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, as well as Sabah’s Department of Industrial Development and Research (DIDR) and the State Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship and Transport Ministry has been very supportive. 

“The Sabah Economic Development Corporation assisted us with our brand’s halal certification and grants, while the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute conducted shelf-life testing for our Lados products,” he said.

He said Tuhau, their brand’s best-selling product, was once produced solely for the Sabah market but had since attracted fans across Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia, particularly after the company participated in the Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism exhibition.

Another local small entrepreneur, Siti Faerah, who owns Fera Crafty, said the programme reflects a personal milestone for her business. 

“This is the first time I have my own booth under my own name. I feel the programme really helped,” she said.

She started her handicraft business in 2020 during the pandemic and said consistent demand had kept her going. 

“If sales were not going well, I would have stopped from the beginning,” she said.  “Now with the government’s target of bringing in millions of tourists, handicrafts definitely have more potential to grow and bring more income for entrepreneurs like us,” she added. 

She noted that free booth space provided at events like this was a relief for small entrepreneurs, as rental fees at established venues were steep. 

“I hope the government can give more opportunities for small entrepreneurs like us to sell at events like this,” she said, adding that she had been self-funding her packaging costs and had not yet applied for assistance from agencies such as DIDR. 

Her products, which include handmade resin crafts, beaded accessories and handcrafted watches decorated with traditional beads, are currently sold within Sabah, with materials sourced locally from Kota Kinabalu and Kudat, and some from Sarawak.