RIUH Programme Boosts MSME Market Reach, Brand Visibility

BUTTERWORTH, June 20 (Bernama) -- Reaching a wider market was once a major hurdle for a micro, small and medium entrepreneur (MSME) from Sungai Petani, Kedah, who began her journey as a home baker 16 years ago.

Her participation in the RIUH programme over the past two years marked a turning point, as her brand, Cake Perhaps, began attracting customers from outside Kedah.

Noor Azrina Ishak, 42, said that previously, she only ran her business on a part-time basis to supplement her family’s income.

“I worked as a bank officer before, but I had to quit my job to look after to care for my elderly father and my son, who has autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

“I spend my spare time making cakes and pastries on a small scale. But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, many of the cafes that were my main customers had to shut down, and that affected my business,” she told Bernama.

With demand from her existing market shrinking, Noor Azrina said she decided to join the RIUH programme in Juru, Penang, in 2024 to reach a new customer base.

“At first it felt a bit awkward, but over time I could really see the impact. When I joined other events around Penang after that, customers would come up and recognise me as the ‘akak dekat RIUH’ (seller at RIUH),” she said when met at the programme held in conjunction with National Journalists’ Day (HAWANA) 2026 at the PICCA @ Arena Butterworth Convention Centre here.

Noor Azrina said the publicity and exposure from the programme had helped her products break into wider markets in Penang and the northern region.

Due to rising demand, she now operates Amazing Azrina Enterprise on a full-time basis from a centralised kitchen at Senja Food Place in Sungai Petani, assisted by four staff members.

“Our product range has also expanded and is no longer limited to cakes, but now includes steamed buns, cheese sticks, chocolate biscuits, mini tarts and cupcakes,” she said.

On future plans, Noor Azrina said she intends to apply for food production technology grants from the Kedah Regional Development Authority (KEDA), Majlis Amanah Rakyat and the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA) to upgrade her equipment and increase production capacity.

She also hopes the RIUH programme will be held more regularly in the northern region, giving more local entrepreneurs the opportunity to promote their products.

Meanwhile, beauty product seller Nur Syasya Aqilah Abdullah, 18, said the programme offers local entrepreneurs a platform to interact directly with customers, which helps increase sales.

“I prefer explaining products face to face because it’s easiern for me to identify the customer’s face shape and recommend suitable makeup brands.

“This is important because many customers tend to choose makeup shades that are brighter than their natural skin tone, while the right colour match is key to achieving a more natural look,” said Nur Syasya Aqilah, who also sells beauty products via her TikTok account @brownskinbeaute.

The RIUH Pi HAWANA programme, organised by MyCreative Ventures, is among the main events of HAWANA 2026, aimed at providing a promotional platform for local creative entrepreneurs while boosting the local economy.

-- BERNAMA