Malaysian SME Products Penetrate Japanese Market

TOKYO, Dec 27 (Bernama) -- Products manufactured by Malaysian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are penetrating the Japanese market with the launch of the Taste of Malaysia (TOM) programme at AEON Jusco shopping mall in Koshigaya Lake Town here Monday. The programme, launched by Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Ismail Sabri (left), saw 74 Malaysian SME products being put on sale at the mall, while 194 others would be showcased at the TOM's booth. He said the programme was held with the aim of placing Malaysian products on the shelves of foreign hypermarkets, which were also operating in Malaysia. "This is a win-win situation and the easiest way to market SME products abroad. "We have given the hypermarket operators the opportunity to expand their businesses in Malaysia, and in return, they have to give our products an opportunity to be sold at their branches worldwide," he told reporters after the launch. Ismail also called on SME operators to carry out market research to penetrate and remain as active players in overseas markets. "The government has opened the door for them through the cooperation with the hypermarkets, now they (SME operators) are the ones who should continue exploring the market in terms of marketing and product enhancement," he said. Meanwhile, AEON Co (M) Bhd managing director Nur Qamarina Chew Abdullah (right) said AEON would continue promoting Malaysian SME products at five locations in the shopping mall. "Our target is to introduce Malaysian SME products at our supermarkets in Japan. With the second edition of TOM next year, we will also organise a large-scale promotional campaign for Malaysian SME products, especially food," she said. In other development, Nur Qamarina said AEON was also planning to invest RM60 million (US$1=RM3.16) to open its 25th Jusco shopping complex in Malaysia at Station 18, Ipoh, Perak, next year. "We are also planning to open Jusco shopping complex in Indonesia and Vietnam next year," she said. So far, Jusco shopping complexes are available in Japan, Thailand, China and Malaysia. Present at the launch were AEON Co (M) Bhd chairman Abdullah Mohd Yusof (second from left) and AEON Co. Ltd chairman Hayashi Naoki. -- BERNAMA