Malaysian Businesses Take Part in the 1st ASEAN
Online Sale Day to Expand Outreach to
ASEAN Consumers
KUALA LUMPUR, 5 August 2020 – Malaysian businesses are all set to join forces with the ASEAN community by participating in the region’s first ever online sales campaign, The ASEAN Online Sale Day (AOSD). The AOSD will take place today until 8 August 2020 in conjunction with ASEAN Day 2020, under the ambit of ASEAN Coordinating Committee on e-Commerce (ACCEC).
The ACCEC was established to coordinate ASEAN responses in developing the ecommerce agenda of each country as well as capitalising on the collective e-commerce potential of the region. Through the AOSD, Malaysian businesses who are Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) from all 10 member states of ASEAN, will be promoting buying and selling of their homegrown brands online, in an effort to boost cross border e-commerce transaction and logistics among ASEAN countries. Among the product segments involved include Food & Beverages, Fashion & Accessories and Household products, just to name a few.
The AOSD aims to raise the awareness on ASEAN Day 2020 - an auspicious day to celebrate the founding of ASEAN on 8 August 1967. The event is also a clear indication of ASEAN e-Commerce Agreement implementation that is targeted at strengthening ASEAN states’ collaboration through e-commerce - which was signed in 2019.
Malaysia’s participation in this pilot programme is jointly coordinated by Ministry of International Trade & Industry (MITI) and Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), along with the support of Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE). The initiative will be an annual event and part of ASEAN Day celebrations.
According to Dato’ Lokman Hakim Ali, Secretary General of MITI, “We look forward to working together with our regional partners in revitalising economic activities through ecommerce. The effort is timely as ASEAN businesses transform towards digitalisation in building their business resilience due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The effort is also a 2 great way for us to send a positive message to consumers and businesses around the world, that ASEAN is ‘open for business’,” he said.
The World Economic Forum projected that e-commerce will be the fastest growing channel in ASEAN retail landscape1 , growing 21% annually, with penetration expanding from 3% to 13%. Additionally, ASEAN e-commerce sector potential is expected to reach growth of US$100 billion to US$300 billion in 20252 . The new economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic also saw the acceleration of digital transformation processes, as businesses strive to provide services to consumers given the circumstances of limited physical access.
MDEC’s Chief Executive Officer, Surina Shukri highlighted how MDEC is continuously committed in executing this initiative by invigorating e-commerce partners to embark on AOSD and catalysing cross-border e-commerce activities between Malaysia and ASEAN countries. This initiative is in tandem with the National e-Commerce Strategic Roadmap (NeSR) that aims at promoting national brands to boost cross-border e-commerce.
“ASEAN Online Sale Day is a regional event not to be missed. With AOSD, Malaysian SMEs are set to gain exposure and visibility to business matching opportunities that will set them up for regional market expansion. This initiative also provides avenues to raise awareness of Malaysian-made brands and products among consumers in ASEAN countries. The AOSD serves as a platform to drive e-commerce export of local products tapping into vast opportunities in the ASEAN market,” she added.
The AOSD will see the Government joining forces with 12 e-marketplaces namely BliBli, BuyMalaysia, JOCOM, Lazada, Lokein, MilkADeal, PG Mall, Shopee, SOLDGO MY, SushiVid, Vettons and Zalora as the e-commerce platforms for Malaysian SMEs to market their products.Meanwhile, BliBli, JOCOM, Lokein, Shopee and Zalora will also offer cross-border e-commerce services. Malaysian consumers can access the AOSD via www.aseanonlinesaleday.com which will be available now until 8 August 2020, 12 midnight.
Source: https://www.miti.gov.my/miti/resources/Media%20Release/Joint_Media_Release_-_Malaysian_Businesses_Take_Part_in_the_1st_ASEAN_Online_Sale_Day_to_Expand_Outreach_to_ASEAN_Consumers.pdf