Mara Set To Become Entrepreneurial Body

**Admin** Mon Mar 07, 2011 5:24 am

KUALA LUMPUR, March 1 (Bernama) -- Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) has to transform itself from a government entity to an entrepreneurial body, said Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.

He said being entrepreneurial in orientation would make Mara more independent and able to generate its own revenue which in turn would create an atmosphere of high performance management.

"Towards this end, Mara will launch its strategic transformation plan 2011-2020 with special emphasis on four sectors, namely education, entrepreneurship, investment and management starting this year," he told a news conference after launching Mara's 45th anniversary celebration here Tuesday.

Mohd Shafie said efforts to nurture entrepreneurship would be realised through the intake of 10,000 Mara Lower Science College students and sponsoring 100 students yearly at world renowned universities.

"As such Mara's programmes must be outcome based. We do not just want to create a learned society, rather a society which is able to translate knowledge into the nation's capacity building," he said.

He said the education transformation was expected to contribute 20,000 qualified employees and 35,000 technical and vocational employees by year-end.

Mohd Shafie said the focus on entrepreneurship would be gauged through the Key Performance Indicators (KPI), specifically by producing 18,000 new entrepreneurs and beefing up the performance of 100 entrepreneurs yearly through training and distribution of a RM220 million allocation for 3,300 entrepreneurs.