KUANTAN: The Ministry of Defence (Mindef) is targeting business grant assistance for 200 entrepreneurs among Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) veterans this year, says Deputy Minister Adly Zahari (pix).
He said the assistance was aimed at providing capital injection for entrepreneurs to expand their businesses and raise their income levels.
“We will cooperate with relevant ministries to ensure that these entrepreneurs among the MAF veterans receive the assistance,“ he said at a press conference after officiating the MAF Veteran Entrepreneur Empowerment Programme which was attended by about 150 veterans here today.
At the event, 10 entrepreneurs from Pahang also received grants worth RM5,000 under the Rural Entrepreneurship Support Initiative (SPKLB) of the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development.
Commenting further, he said that the handing out of grants for this year only began last month and as of today, 20 entrepreneurs from the Klang Valley, Pahang and Negeri Sembilan had received the assistance.
Meanwhile, Adly said that Ex-Serviceman Affairs Corporation (PERHEBAT) was monitoring 1,286 veterans in Pahang who had completed their transitional training from 2018 to 2022.
According to him, out of the total, 329 were involved in businesses, 139 were self-employed while 232 hadn’t got a second career due to various factors.
Meanwhile, entrepreneur Mohd Jufizan Johar, 44, from Raub who sells sauce said the grant he received could help him add equipment to produce the sauce.
He said the assistance was timely because he was also planning to increase production and market the sauce in other states.
“Thank you to PERHEBAT for selecting me to receive this very meaningful initiative, so that we (veterans) can grow our business,“ said the MAF veteran who markets his product under the Pak Chu Kitchen brand.
Marinated rabbit meat entrepreneur Ahmad Firdaus Ahmad Safri, 41, meanwhile, said he would use the assistance to purchase feed for the livestock on his farm, which currently numbers over 600.
“Excited and grateful that out of many people, I was chosen to receive this grant, which of course is of great benefit to me.
“In addition to buying rabbit food, I will also use it to increase the types of breeds I have... I also hope that this product (marinated rabbit meat) will be able to be marketed overseas in the future,“ said Ahmad Firdaus, who runs the business in Kuala Lipis. -Bernama
