By Amin Ridzuan Ishak
SHAH ALAM, Oct 25 — The Selangor Indian Entrepreneur Development (Sitham) and the Selangor Indian Empowerment and Entrepreneurs Development (i-SEED) programmes, first introduced in 2019, have produced thousands of entrepreneurs in the state.
Both programmes, with over RM5 million in allocations, are meant to ensure the development of the Indian community alongside other races, due to the development speed of Selangor.
Sitham, or Selangor Inthiyar Tholil Arvalar Maiyam in the Tamil language, is divided into four categories which include development training, short-term courses for skills and manufacturing, guidance, and assistance for equipment.
More than 2,000 small traders were estimated to have been produced by the programme, which utilises RM1 million in allocation annually.
Those seeking to expand their businesses but require additional capital can obtain financing from Yayasan Hijrah Selangor.
The efforts to empower the Indian community's economy have also been intensified with i-SEED's implementation since last year. Over 600 traders have benefitted from the programme by receiving equipment assistance.
The enthusiastic reception has also prompted the state government to provide an additional RM500,000 in allocations, with RM1.5 million spent this year.
As with Sitham, i-SEED recipients seeking to increase their business level can also apply for Hijrah Selangor funds.
In conjunction with Deepavali, the state government is also offering Hijrah Selangor i-seasonal loans via Sitham, to help bazaar traders operating during the festival to apply for licenses.
Alongside this, the Indian community can also expect to receive social protection through various initiatives under the Iltizam Selangor Penyayang initiative, which includes Bantuan Kehidupan Sejahtera Selangor (Bingkas) and Iltizam Selangor Sihat.
i-SEED eligible recipients:
- Selangor citizens or residents for over 10 years.
- Individuals and households with an income of under RM3,000 per month.
- Must operate in Selangor.
- Is actively and consistently in business.
- The applicant and his/her spouse must have never received aid from the Selangor Poverty Eradication
- Blueprint Assistance or the Selangor Micro-Entrepreneur Fund.
Sitham eligible recipients:
- Traders from the Indian community who have been residing in Selangor for over five years.
- Aged between 18 to 55.
