“Virtue is bold and goodness never fearful – and march into a world where destiny awaits them with open arms”

E50 celebrates entrepreneurs

Published: 2013/11/18

ENTERPRISE 50 (E50) Award returned with a bang to recognise a new breed of high-potential SMEs. We all have read about the global giants – Microsoft and Apple Inc – who are not just living testimonies to the American era of SME development, but speak of the many companies that rose from backyard garages to great global markets.  Infosys Technologies, which started in 1981 with a capital of US$250 (RM800), today has a market capitalisation of more than US$30 billion and is listed on the American Stock Exchange. In Malaysia, one may be surprised to know that we do have many such high-potential SMEs who, with the support of our progressive SME policies and master plan, are on track to go global. 

Every year, as I sit on the evaluation committee of the E50 Award, I feel proud to discover yet another elite group of competitive, innovative and resilient SMEs that, even though not many in number, are ready to tap the markets beyond our borders. They are not far away from gaining impetus for exponential growth by stimulating interest of the international business and trade, as well as investor communities.
After almost a year of planning, organising and coordinating between SME Corp Malaysia and Deloitte Malaysia as the co-organisers and with the support of our corporate partners and sponsors, the E50 Award 2013 culminated on November 15 with a press briefing and announcement of the Top 10 winners during the E50 gala dinner at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. Earlier in the day, a special luncheon was held to give the winners added visibility among the fund managers in exploring potential future business expansion plans.
The E50 Award gala dinner, officiated by International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, was a night of celebration filled with glamour and glitz against the elegant black and gold theme of the evening, where the best SMEs in Malaysia were announced.
Attributes such as tenacity, passion and perseverance had indeed paid off for the winners. SYM World Innovation Sdn Bhd bagged the top spot at the E50 Award 2013 ceremony, Dewina Food Industries Sdn Bhd came in as the first runner-up, and Furutec Electrical Sdn Bhd took third place.
For the past 17 years, the E50 Award has not only been an annual award programme that honours the best 50 SMEs in the country, but is also an endorsement and testament of their successes and capabilities.
It is also a platform for the winning companies to enjoy greater market visibility to facilitate their entry into the global market. Apart from the extensive media coverage enjoyed by the E50 winners, the privileges awaiting the winners include participation in Oxford Advanced Leadership Programme for the Top 10 winners, as well as in the Female Entrepreneur Leadership Programme for women entrepreneurs, both at the Saiid Business School, University of Oxford. Such a programme has been proven effective towards sharpening their new knowledge and skills in international best practices, and business networking opportunities for SMEs.
In addition, E50 winners are also automatically nominated to the ministry’s Prime Minister’s Industry Excellence Award and the National Productivity Award, with special access to the winner circle for the latest industry research reports, case studies and groundbreaking information. Other benefits from E50 Award partners include access to Deloitte’s Tech Fast 500 Programme; TM’s Business Solutions Package; Fast Lane processing of loan applications; and RHB Bank’s Business Platinum Credit Card.
I am pleased to share that SME Corp Malaysia will further augment the E50 benefits by organising a networking event for the alumni of E50 winners as a platform for them to establish linkages with the government and the corporate sectors.
From the pool of E50 alumni members, the programme has also proven to be one of our most innovative platforms and solutions that helps shape the future of SMEs by providing them immense opportunities for growth.
For instance, out of the 581 winners of the E50 Awards (out of a total of 1,785 participating companies to date), 60 SMEs have been listed on the Bursa Malaysia – 40 on the Main Market and 12 on the ACE Market.
Our target is to further influence the accessibility of information on the benefits of listing to the E50 winners. Overall, our target is to help 15 per cent of the SMEs to be listed on the local bourse by 2015. It is so enlightening to note that we are on track to achieve this target as we expect more E50 companies to go for initial public offerings against the backdrop of good economic performance of the nation, as well as the potential of our financial markets.
Over the years, we have steadily increased the standards of the E50 Award through a stringent set of nomination criteria. Since 2012, participation in the award is by invitation only, exclusive to SMEs with a rating of four-star and above under SME Corp Malaysia’s SME Competitiveness Rating for Enhancement Programme (Score).
This year, the winners came from the 2012 and 2013 Score pool of SMEs rated four-star and above, not just based on their current performance, but also on how they position themselves for the future.
To end the year on a high note, an exciting event following the gala dinner is the E50 Golf Tournament 2013, where all E50 winners are invited to participate in the tournament that will be held this Saturday at The Mines Golf and Country Resort.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is expected to attend as the guest-of-honour as well as a golfer!
I am very hopeful that with the sustainable implementation of E50 Award annually, and in the years to come, we will see more and more winning SMEs in the forefront of all economic development as globally competitive brands and companies.
What I always ask of the SMEs is to believe in what William Shakespeare once said – “Virtue is bold and goodness never fearful – and march into a world where destiny awaits them with open arms”.
Congratulations to all the E50 2013 winners!
Datuk Hafsah Hashim is the chief executive officer of Small and Medium Enterprise Corporation Malaysia (SME Corp Malaysia).