KOTA KINABALU: Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre (MaGIC), an agency under the Ministry of Finance, aims to produce 200 social entrepreneurs nationwide through its social entrepreneurship programme by year-end.
Chief Operating Officer Norita Ja’afar said MaGIC is conducting roundtable discussions at 10 places nationwide to enlighten the target groups on its role in developing social entrepreneurs.
“The first session was launched in Kota Kinabalu today involving 25 social entrepreneurs, lawyers, university lecturers and owners of entrepreneurial incubators.
“The second session will be held in Kota Belud, tomorrow,” she told reporters after calling on Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah, who is also State Industrial Development Minister, here today.
On her discussion with Tan, Norita said the Sabah government is ready to help MaGIC further expand its role in the state.
MaGIC executive director of social entrepreneurship Ehon Chan said Sabah has huge potential in developing social businesses, especially in rural areas.
“Sabah has many innovations related to social entrepreneurship as many of its non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are very active. In the face of declining financial resources, the NGOs have innovated their social business model to become social entrepreneurs,” he said.
Chan said MaGIC would set up the Social Entrepreneur Academy next year and conduct workshops to train, guide and assist social entrepreneurs to scale greater heights and those selected would get a RM30,000 grant to implement their social enterprise model. — Bernama
