KUALA LUMPUR: Awards for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) should go beyond just recognising their success, says the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister. Speaking at the launch of the 24th edition of the Enterprise 50 (E50) Awards, Steven Sim said the initiative was a longstanding ­testament to the resilience of local SMEs and strength of public-­private collaboration. Sim said the E50 recognition must go beyond symbolic acknowledgement, stating that such awards should carry an added value. To sustain the programme’s momentum, this year’s E50 Awards was held alongside the E50 Export Conference and E50 Business Matching sessions. Sim said these platforms aimed to expand commercial opportunities, strengthen trade networks and support export growth among local SMEs, mainly for E50 alumni.

Source: The Star February 13, 2026 02:10 UTC