SHAH ALAM, Aug 12 — More than 600 rural women entrepreneurs in Selangor have benefited from the Darul Ehsan Business Scheme (NaDi), which offers financing of up to RM50,000 to start or expand businesses, in line with efforts to empower them through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
Selangor Women’s Assembly (Siwanis) 2025 delegate and state executive councillor for entrepreneurship Nur Aasima Ahmad said the NaDi scheme, managed by Yayasan Hijrah Selangor, covers sectors including food, handicrafts, beauty services and digital printing, with repayment periods of up to five years.
“Other initiatives like the Selangor Care Accelerator 2025 (XCare) for the care industry, the Selangor Platform (PLATS) with over 50,000 registered traders, SelBiz, which has produced 10,000 entrepreneurs, and Usahanita Wanita Berdaya Selangor (WBS), combining training, grants, and mentoring, prove that TVET is a catalyst for rural women’s economic growth.
“TVET training is like giving someone a fishing rod without a line — it will not produce results. That is why the state government’s approach is holistic: training, mentoring, financing, and marketing,” she said.
Aasima was responding to fellow delegate Nor Farah Fazrita Jamaluddin's query. The acting Seri Kembangan assemblyman had enquired about the direction for rural women after completing TVET, and the state government’s efforts to provide job networks or grants for the B40 group, especially in entrepreneurship.
She added that Selangor allocates RM16 million annually for various TVET initiatives, including sponsoring trainees at the Selangor Technical Skills Development Centre (STDC) for Malaysian Skills Certification (SKM), professional certificates, and short courses.
The third edition of Siwanis concluded today, bringing together 56 women delegates from across Selangor, as well as invited representatives from other states, making it an inclusive, high-impact women’s leadership platform.
Using a simulated State Legislative Assembly format, the programme aims to nurture women’s leadership talent, strengthen policy knowledge and train them to become future leaders at state and national levels.
