Agrobank AUM Programme Drives Micro-Entrepreneur Growth, Melaka Records Over RM5.5 Mln Sales
MELAKA, April 13 (Bernama) -- The Agrobank Upward Migration (AUM) programme continues to bolster the development of micro-entrepreneurs nationwide, with Melaka recording sales exceeding RM5.5 million, underscoring strong business growth driven by the bank’s ongoing guidance and support.
Agrobank president and group chief executive officer Datuk Tengku Ahmad Badli Shah Raja Hussin said the programme targets small and medium enterprise (SME) players, particularly micro-entrepreneurs, to drive business growth through training, guidance and financing facilities.
“We are targeting between 30 and 50 entrepreneurs in each state for mentorship under the programme, which also features an entrepreneurship award to recognise participants’ achievements.
“We provide capacity-building training, such as financial management, as well as coaching and mentoring, alongside financing facilities for entrepreneurs with the potential to scale up their businesses,” he told reporters after the Agrobank Entrepreneur Excellence Aspiration Ceremony 2026 in Ayer Keroh today.
Tengku Ahmad Badli Shah said that overall, the programme generated RM38.7 million in sales nationwide last year, involving some 200 micro-entrepreneurs guided by Agrobank.
He said a total of 240 participants took part in the programme last year and displayed strong commitment throughout the one-year mentoring period.
“Every year, we see positive growth in sales, and many entrepreneurs have even expanded their businesses by hiring between five and 10 employees, thereby boosting local economic activity,” he said.
Meanwhile, Tengku Ahmad Badli Shah said the AUM programme, implemented by the Agrobank Centre of Excellence (ACE), is a 12-month entrepreneur development initiative that combines structured training with hands-on mentoring at business premises.
“The modules offered include financial management, digital marketing and corporate-standard business management practices.
“This programme not only enhances participants’ business performance, but also inspires micro-industry players to continue growing sustainably,” he said.
Tengku Ahmad Badli Shah said Agrobank would remain committed to empowering local entrepreneurs through a holistic approach aimed at creating more economic growth opportunities nationwide.
One of the participants, Izzati Hamidah Sharil, 28, a traditional kuih producer, said her business had grown from a home-based operation in 2022 into a larger-scale production with a capacity of up to 300 kilogrammes of sweet potatoes per day, enabling her to produce more than 10,000 kuih keria, including innovative flavours such as keria pistachio.
She said that participation in the programme had enabled her to expand her market, open her own shop, expand her workforce to 15 employees across production and marketing and acquire additional machinery to boost production capacity.
--BERNAMA