Government to examine foreign business entry enforcement to safeguard MSMEs
A proposed working group involving two ministries will study the matter as the government considers measures addressing digital trade competition.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said the government will examine enforcement coordination over foreign businesses and products entering Malaysia. The review aims to safeguard local MSMEs’ interests and support fair competition.
The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry will study the issue through a working group that has yet to be established, he said in a Facebook statement. He chaired the Cabinet Committee on Empowering the Purchase and Use of Local Products meeting where the matter was discussed.
Fadillah said local traders were concerned about tougher competition as digital trade expands and foreign e-commerce operators enter the market. Committee discussions covered legal provisions, coordination of policies and enforcement effectiveness. He said work on the e-Commerce Bill was also receiving attention, taking account of changing trade conditions and the interests of consumers, traders and MSMEs.
Members also considered making use of the “Jom Beli Produk Malaysia” (Jom Malaysia) logo consistent across local-product promotions, without replacing ministry-specific programme logos. The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living was proposed as coordinator for usage guidelines and arrangements for monitoring and reporting.
Fadillah said this was aligned with the RM10 million allocation for Jom Malaysia announced in Budget 2027 by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The funding is intended to bring rural products and high-value services onto digital platforms and into overseas markets.
