The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on the importance of adopting sustainability
practices among the Malaysian business community.
This awakening champions a universal value that focuses on the environment, society and governance commonly known as the ESG. This development if anything, brought about various opportunities for environmentally-friendly products to succeed in not only local, but the global markets too.
Since the outbreak, we can witness the acceleration of economic transformation among
industry players particularly in moving towards the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) advocated by the United Nations.
I believe that this can contribute greatly to our nation’s economic progress, post-pandemic.
The Malaysian government supported the SDGs as it is a signatory of the Paris Agreement signed at the United Nations General Assembly in year 2015. The central idea was to be inclusive and take into account the environment, social and governance well-being in economic development.
In order to future-proof the local industries, industry players are encouraged to adopt
sustainable business model one of which includes using alternatives sources to produce
their products.
Recently, I visited One Tech (M) Sdn Bhd, a Small and Medium Enterprise in Ampang
that is pioneering Malaysia’s green furniture manufacturing and uses sustainable and
reclaimed materials to produce furniture and interior fittings.
The company was founded in 1993 and deployed traditional methods to produce school desks, chairs and furniture in the early days.
The company’s Director Harith Ridzuan informed me, to address the environmental challenges, and the need to produce sustainable wood products, One Tech began to offer green interior solutions in 2013.
Since then, through its participation in the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation’s (MATRADE) (an agency under Ministry of International Trade and Industry)
– Export Promotion Programmes and Market Development Grant (MGD), the company
has successfully entered the European and American markets, which are known to have
strict environmental protection requirements.
The company shared that they’ve suffered a decline in demand last year due to the
pandemic, but it was quick to respond by going into e-Commerce. The company then
leverages on MATRADE’s eTrade programme and MDG that support the company’s
venture in online selling and digital marketing.
This has helped improved the demand for their products and facilitated the recovery of the business.
Currently, One Tech is selling their products on Amazon and other known major e-
marketplaces, having numerous clients worldwide who can attest to their eco-friendly wood products. The company now continues to operate under strict adherence to the Standard Operating Procedures.
Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry, Senator Datuk Lim Ban Hong said, “I am proud that the initiatives and incentives by MITI through its agencies have helped local companies”
In that regard, I would like to urge more SMEs to actively sign up for government programmes especially by MITI and its 13 agencies to enhance their readiness to compete globally and succeed beyond the local market.
