In the past, housewives were often confined to managing household duties, but many are now proving their independence through microfinancing initiatives offered by agencies such as the National Entrepreneurial Group Economic Fund (TEKUN) and Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN).
A brave step for the family
For Martinila Mat Akhir, 46, the decision to leave her full-time job and focus on raising six children was far from easy. However, her desire to support her husband, who was then serving in the armed forces, motivated her to venture into a small business.
“I had already resigned from my job and at first I didn’t know what to do at home. Eventually, I decided to start a business so I could help my husband while still being around for the children,” she said.
Martinila began selling food in 2007 and admitted facing numerous challenges, especially in securing capital. But after learning about TEKUN’s microcredit scheme, she was able to strengthen her business.
“Before TEKUN, I used to borrow money from friends just to keep the business going. After receiving the financing, I was able to manage things much better,” she said.
Today, she sells air batu campur in her neighbourhood, earning around RM500 a month, which helps cover the school expenses of her two youngest children.
“The kids never go without pocket money. That alone makes me happy,” Martinila, a Dapur Digital initiative participant, said.
From small loan to big dreams
Another success story comes from Suriya Abdullah, 41, a mother of three who runs a satay business with the help of a RM3,000 microloan.
“It would’ve taken me a long time to save up the capital on my own, so I applied for a microloan. With that, I managed to expand my production,” she said.
What used to be only a few hundred sticks a day has now grown to 1,000 sticks daily, allowing her to increase her family’s income and settle her debts.
“Alhamdulillah, our income has improved, the car loan is fully paid off, and we now own our own house,” she said.
Training and ongoing guidance
Dapur Digital coordinator Maznah Ebirahman described the scheme as one of the most effective government initiatives in helping women overcome financial hardship.
She said many participants of the programme had seen a significant increase in their income thanks to training and financial support.
“In just two weeks, some managed to earn RM4,000. In August, we didn’t expect to hit RM10,000, and in September we still made over RM8,000. Alhamdulillah, it’s been very rewarding,” she said.
According to Maznah, 60, the initiative not only provides capital but also equips participants with entrepreneurship training and continuous mentoring to ensure sustainable growth for their businesses.
In his 2025 Budget speech last year, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced a RM3.2 billion allocation in small-scale financing through TEKUN, BSN, and Bank Negara Malaysia – an increase from RM2.4 billion the previous year.
The move reflects the government’s commitment to strengthening the micro-entrepreneurship ecosystem and ensuring that women, particularly housewives, have inclusive access to economic opportunities.