SHAH ALAM, May 21 — Yayasan Hijrah Selangor is equipping entrepreneurs under its care with digital and financial management skills, as the state microfinancing agency expands its role beyond providing loans to help businesses scale sustainably.
Its chief business officer Nilammasri Jaafar said access to financing alone is insufficient for micro entrepreneurs, as many continue to face difficulties accessing conventional bank financing due to weak financial records, limited credit history, and poor bookkeeping practices.
“We believe that just providing financing alone does not solve the problem. They need to be equipped with the necessary knowledge, such as packaging, branding, digital marketing, and financial record-keeping,” she said in a recent interview with Media Selangor.
Nilammasri added that many micro-entrepreneurs today still lack basic financial literacy, including maintaining bank statements, tracking transactions, and keeping proper business records, which are critical for business expansion and future access to larger financing platforms.
“Some do not even have a credit history, which makes it difficult for them to access financing from banks,” she said.
As such, the state agency has intensified entrepreneurship and digitalisation training over the past two years to help entrepreneurs adapt to changing business trends and online commerce.
Its free training programmes include TikTok live selling, digital marketing, branding, bookkeeping, and financial management workshops conducted by qualified trainers exclusively for its entrepreneurs.
Nilammasri said that Hijrah Selangor also works with strategic financing partners to help entrepreneurs scale beyond microfinancing once they demonstrate strong repayment discipline and business growth potential.
“We want to handhold them from the beginning. Once they become stronger and more stable, we introduce them to larger financing ecosystems and platforms that can support further growth,” she said.
Among the scale-up initiatives is its collaboration with the Bumiputera Agenda Steering Unit to connect promising entrepreneurs with larger financing platforms, including peer-to-peer financing, fintech providers, and development financial institutions.
Nilammasri noted that some entrepreneurs also repeatedly return to Hijrah Selangor for financing despite having outgrown the microfinancing category, leading the agency to channel them towards larger financing opportunities beyond its RM50,000 limit.
“We identify customers with strong repayment records and business potential, then introduce them to financing platforms that can help them grow further,” she said.
Apart from financing and training, Hijrah Selangor has also rolled out initiatives such as the Hijrahpreneur Awards, which recognises and highlights entrepreneur success stories, as well as grant-based support programmes like i-TEKAD to support entrepreneurs in scaling their businesses, generating employment opportunities, and building more sustainable and competitive enterprises.
Since its establishment in 2015, the agency has supported more than 62,000 entrepreneurs, who may apply for financing of up to RM50,000, subject to eligibility requirements and business assessments.
This year, Hijrah Selangor has disbursed a total of RM12.5 million in financing to 700 entrepreneurs up to April.
