Lawas fish-based products poised for global market, says Mara council member

LAWAS (Sept 12): Locally produced fish-based products here can be commercialised for a global market, said Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) council member Siti Ajar Yasin.

The community in Lawas, best known for aquaculture projects and fish products, ought to explore and diversify their products with more value-added offerings.

“The ‘tamban’ fish aplenty here can be marketed like the ‘ikan tahai’ (local smoked fish), ‘liking’ or ‘pekasam’ (fermented fish) and into other products with high commercial value.

“These food innovations would help businesses expand and cater to wider market segments, especially for the community outside Lawas,” she said when launching the Lawas District Women’s Empowerment Programme here today.

Also present at the event were Mara Sarawak director A Razu Abdul Razak, Tabung Baitulmal Sarawak head of distribution division Mohamat Shukri Samor, and some 300 women entrepreneurs.

The one-day programme held at the Lawas sports complex was jointly organised by Mara and Lawas District Baitulmal Fund, to empower women in small business and entrepreneurship.

Highlighting the significance of the event, she said it would be a good platform for the women entrepreneurs to seek information and guidance on Mara’s entrepreneurship training and business financing.

“More than 60,000 women entrepreneurs throughout the country have benefitted from Mara,” she said.

“Baitulmal has also been providing training and assistance to local Muslim women entrepreneurs,” she said, adding that it also sponsored free motorcycle engine oil change at the event.

This, she added, was part of Baitulmal’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, meant for the underprivileged households.

“The ‘Mara Prihatin dan Jalinan Kasih Baitulmal’ initiative, meanwhile, addressed the critical needs of home repair for four low-income families here,” said Siti Ajar, who also presented cash assistance to the underprivileged recipients at the event.