ENTREPRENEURS play a key role in any economy and for this reason, Penang launched its ‘Penang Entrepreneurial Culture’ campaign yesterday.
To nurture the entrepreneurial spirit, State Entrepreneurial Development, Trade and Industry Committee chairman Datuk Abdul Halim Hussain said the campaign would go on till June next year.
He said the state was proud to engage with the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Penang Development Corporation (PDC) to carry out such an initiative.
Entrepreneurs are usually innovators, who are motivated by challenges. While their entrepreneurship in creating a startup can be highly risky, it can be highly rewarding when they realise their goals, especially with their capability to think out of the box.
Abdul Halim said they are in the midst of developing an entrepreneurship portal (https://usahawanpenang.com) to focus on the campaign.
“There are a series of activities which have been arranged under this campaign. They include One Culture Entrepreneurship Campaign Carnival, and other seminars related to entrepreneurship in the state.
“We hope Penangites interested in entrepreneurship can benefit from this initiative,” he said in his speech during launching of the pre-Penang Entrepreneurial Culture Campaign – Entrepreneurship Is A Culture in Cititel yesterday.
Abdul Halim said a total of RM500,000 has been allocated for the campaign.
“A sum of RM50,000 is given to each of the five district offices in the state to realise the campaign while RM100,000 is allocated for a joint programme with USM.
“We are also proud of the state’s achievement in semiconductor industry this far,” he said.
USM vice-chancellor Datuk Dr Faisal Rafiq Mahamd Adikan said he was looking forward to the collaboration with the state.
“It is a good platform for the students to learn and expose themselves to the field of entrepreneurship,” he said.
Among those present were Bukit Tambun assemblyman Goh Choon Aik, Kebun Bunga assemblyman Jason Ong, and Penang Development Corporation (PDC) chief executive officer Datuk Aziz Bakar.
Story by Edmund Lee
Pix by Watawa Nataf Zulkifli