KOTA KINABALU: Majlis Amanah Rakyat's (Mara) Professional Entrepreneur Development Programme (ProSPEC) has created more than 100 job opportunities and businesses for 29 professional Bumiputera entrepreneurs.
Mara deputy director-general Datuk Zulfikri Osman said that these job opportunities resulted from the opening of 16 outlets or special brand premises by Mara under the ProsPEC programme across Sabah so far.
He said that out of the 16 outlets, 13 were branded as Uni Klinik clinics, two were Uni Dental premises for dental services, and the other was an outlet providing accounting services named PACCT.
"As of December 2023, a total of RM5 million in funding has been allocated for the opening of these 16 special brand outlets in Sabah.
"The benefits from this effort have also provided over 100 job opportunities to locals.
"Furthermore, the sales records of the entrepreneurs have been very encouraging, amounting to RM4.072 million as of August 2024," he said when met after the launching ceremony of ProSPEC Sabah, here, today.
Also present was Sabah Mara director Dr Shahrizin Abdul Sarhadat.
Zulfikri said another 13 outlets, including Uni Pharmacy, are expected to open by the end of this year or early next year, based on the positive response from the public towards Mara's special brands.
"So far, Sabah Mara has trained 29 professional Bumiputera entrepreneurs to start their own businesses in the fields of medicine, dentistry, and accounting through the ProSPEC Programme.
"ProSPEC is a specially structured entrepreneurship programme that focuses more on fields such as medicine, pharmacy, engineering, law, accounting, architecture, quantity surveying, and other professional fields.
"Alhamdulillah (praise be to God), this number is the second highest after Selangor. It is a platform to encourage professionals to own their businesses through special brands like Uni Klinik, Uni Dental, Uni Pharmacy, and PACCT," he said.
He added that these special brands were created as a platform for professionals like doctors to start their businesses with financial support from MARA.