Continue with Mara Digital project, Ismail urges

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has instructed Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) to continue with the Mara Digital project to open up more opportunities for Bumiputera youth as information technology (IT) entrepreneurs.

He said several Mara Digital centres had been established so far, in Shah Alam, Selangor; Kuantan, Pahang; and Ipoh, Perak, while other places had been identified like Larkin, Johor; Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu; Kota Bharu, Kelantan; Kuching, Sarawak and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

Ismail said when Pakatan Harapan took over the government following the 14th general election in 2018, the Mara Digital initiative was shut down and new projects were discontinued.

"Mara Digital is very close to my heart. I came up with it to develop Bumiputera entrepreneurs in the field of IT and gadgets, whether in terms of selling products, repairing (equipment) and others," he said in a post on Facebook last night.

Earlier, the prime minister made a surprise visit to Mara Digital Kuala Lumpur, accompanied by Rural Development Minister Mahdzir Khalid.

"During the visit, the traders informed me that they were still able to continue business because sales were increasing, but (that they) needed support from Mara in terms of promotion, loan assistance, and a reduction of rental rates, among others," he said.

The opening of Mara Digital as a telecommunications and IT equipment sales centre in 2015 was spearheaded by Ismail, who was the rural and regional development minister at the time.