MARA Betong is located at Rural Transformation Centre (RTC) Betong, which is rather far from the commercial part of Betong town. According to MARA Betong district officer Dayang Hanisabirin bt Abang Othman, this could be one of the reasons why not many people are aware of MARA’s existence in Betong
MARA’s core business is its advisory service. There are more than 220 entrepreneurs or participants recorded in MARA Betong’s directory.
MARA Betong is located at Rural Transformation Centre (RTC) Betong, which is rather far from the commercial part of Betong town. According to MARA Betong district officer Dayang Hanisabirin bt Abang Othman, this could be one of the reasons why not many people are aware of MARA’s existence in Betong
The district office is almost secluded, that it usually receives one to two visitors a month. When RAKAN Sarawak came for its interview there, deputy officer Awangku Badrul Hisyam bin Awang Shamsawi (centre) administrative assistant Meyleena Mawas anak Saing (right) was serving a customer at the reception counter
MARA’s core business is its advisory service. Here, officer Dayang Hanisabirin bt Abang Othman (right) is speaking to MARA entrepreneur Kalsom bt Daud regarding the use of MARA’s online services
Interestingly, Ms Hanisabirin observed that many entrepreneurs in Betong are middle-aged women. Compounded with the area’s unstable Internet connectivity, this poses a challenge when it comes to encouraging the use of digital applications and online financial transactions. The brochure above is being distributed at MARA Betong as well as premises of MARA entrepreneurs to create more awareness of applying for MARA business financing schemes online
Nevertheless, entrepreneurs like Pn Kalsom (left), here with her daughter Dayang Nurfarahin bt Abg Muhamad Tahir, have benefited immensely through the various entrepreneur development courses and programmes offered by MARA Betong. In Pn Kalsom’s case, these include the Halal Certification Programme and Business Standard Enhancement (Marketing and Branding)
Pn Kalsom owns Fazzah’s Kitchen, which has been given a makeover through MARA’s Business Standard Enhancement (Marketing and Branding) under MARA Entrepreneur Development. Business operations have also changed; for example, from taking orders by hand to tablets for a more digital and systematic manner
