SHAH ALAM, July 28 — Up to 5,000 individuals who have lost their jobs but aspire to start a business will benefit from the Selangor Platform (PLATS) Career Transition initiative, which is set to be launched next month.
Yayasan Menteri Besar Selangor (Incorporation) or MBI's chief Ahmad Azri Zainal Nor said the programme is aimed at helping those affected begin their entrepreneurial journey, even if they have neither capital nor business experience.
The initiative will be launched by Menteri Besar Dato' Seri Amirudin Shari.
"We will launch PLATS Career Transition to benefit those who have lost their jobs but want to start a business. They have nothing, starting from zero, but they want to do business.
"We will assist them through micro-financing, help them obtain business licences in collaboration with local authorities, and provide entrepreneurship training. All of these services will be offered free of charge to those who have lost their jobs," he said.
Azri was speaking to reporters after a laptop handover ceremony for university students at the Yayasan MBI office today.
He added that participants will be identified using data from the Social Security Organisation (SOCSO) to ensure assistance reaches those who need it most.
"We obtained the data from SOCSO. InsyaAllah (God willing), we will assist a quota of 5,000 entrepreneurs, and the programme will be launched in August," Azri said.
In addition to entrepreneurship training and micro-financing, eligible participants will also be able to apply for the Selangor Madani Entrepreneur Fund, Free Internet Data, and other forms of assistance provided under the programme.
The initiative is open to entrepreneurs across various sectors, including food and beverage (F&B), services, workshops, and barbering.
"They simply need to be running a business. It does not matter what type of business it is; whether F&B, services, workshops, barbering, or others. InsyaAllah, we will be able to help," he said.
In 2023, Yayasan MBI introduced the U-PLATS programme to help entrepreneurs manage their businesses digitally, involving 12 local authorities.
Its modules include entrepreneurship fundamentals, social media, e-commerce, and digital content creation.
