MORE M`SIAN WOMEN CHOOSING ENTEPRENEURSHIP AS CAREER

KUALA LUMPUR, June 18 (Bernama) -- More women in Malaysia are choosing
entrepreneurship for a career despite the various challenges they face such as
lack of financial support and competitiveness in the market, Deputy Women,
Family and Community Development Minister Chew Mei Fun said Thursday.

She said the government was concerned about these challenges and the
relevant ministries had been tasked to identify the factors which impeded one
from progressing in business.

Chew said 99 per cent of the small and medium enterprise (SME) companies in
the country were involved in the services, manufacturing and agricultural
sectors and women owned 16 per cent of the companies, primarily in the services
sector.

"Malaysian women entrepreneurs are also increasingly recognised as key
players in the economy, in particular SMEs, and even earned recognition in many
fields as they now headed several multi-national companies which used to be
dominated by men," she said at the First Asia Women Business Power Conference at
Technology Park Malaysia, here.

She said women could now gain access to various government grants and funds,
including special assistance schemes through the Small and Medium Industries
Development Corporation (Smidec).
-- BERNAMA