Malaysia – Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) has announced their partnership with Visa to kick-start a collaboration focusing on enabling e-commerce for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Through this strategic partnership, BSN and Visa have committed to nurturing micro-SMEs in a digital commerce training program called ‘Accelerate My Business’ (AMB). The training intends to drive the adoption of digital disbursement solutions, which will provide micro-SMEs with better financial literacy to explore more significant financing to boost their businesses.

According to BSN, the AMB training program will be divided into two module workshops aimed at digitizing the knowledge of 750 selected BSN micro-SMEs and empowering them for the next phase of their business journey.

This comprehensive initiative will run from August 2023 until March 2024, incorporating a total of 27 sessions conducted across 13 different locations nationwide, encompassing both the Sabah and Sarawak regions.

During these workshops, micro-SMEs will be equipped with essential entrepreneurial skills, covering diverse areas such as business management, financial literacy, operational efficiency, and digitalization strategies. Additionally, the AMB learning platform will play a crucial role in providing practical guidance to the participants by offering various resources. This includes interactive activities, worksheets, self-assessment tools, glossaries, and supplementary materials to support them throughout their entrepreneurial journey.

The program will also be categorised based on the entrepreneurial expertise of the participants—beginner and seasoned stages—to ensure that their diverse needs will be catered to.

Jay Khairil, chief executive of BSN, stated that by staying true to their vision of ‘No Malaysian Left Behind,’ BSN remains mindful of the community’s needs by diversifying our product and service offerings tailored to various segments.

“We have also integrated financial education resources and programs within our services to ensure our customers can access vital financial insights and practical advice. Hence, the strategic partnership with Visa is timely and coincides with our aim to drive digital transformation among micro-SMEs for enhanced operational efficiency and competitive advantage in today’s dynamic business landscape,” he added.

Meanwhile, Ng Kong Boon, country manager for Malaysia at Visa, shared that Visa sees micro and small businesses as the backbone of the Malaysian economy.

He further emphasised the importance of the partnership, saying that “we are pleased to partner with BSN as we share a common goal in empowering these enterprises with resources and tools to uplift their businesses and livelihoods, ultimately creating a ripple effect throughout their communities. By continuing to build on this foundation with greater financial and business knowledge, we can help them find new growth and thrive.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – The celebration of the Hari Raya festivities this 2023 has just ended, and with that we have been blessed with an array of ad films that celebrate the values and teachings of the Raya season–whether through laugh-inducing commercials or through feature-length emotional ones.

To celebrate the diversity of these Raya ads, video streaming platform YouTube has released its top ads on the platform. Listed alphabetically, the ads feature various depictions of the Muslim celebrations whether through purposeful teaching, viewer relatability, or simply all about ‘just-feel-good’ vibes.

BHPetrol BHPetrol Hari Raya Video 2023

“There will always be light at the end”. This is the overarching message of this ad from local petroleum company BHPetrol. After a series of misfortunes while on the road, a man finds himself stranded without fuel in his car. As he shouts in frustration, a man he nearly hit with comes to his rescue with a bit of fuel to take as far as the vehicle could. Realising how much good there is, he calls back to his family apologising for his rudeness during an earlier call and promises to return in time for the Eid celebrations.

BSN Malaysia Iklan Raya BSN 2023 | Salah Siapa?

This hilarious ad from the government-owned bank BSN Malaysia shows that regardless if someone bought the wrong dessert for the festival meal or changed the colour theme for the living room, what’s more important is that the family stays together in celebration.

Bulan Bintang Bulan Bintang Raya 2023 – Raya Macam Star

Conceptualised by Mediabrands Content Studio (MBCS), this maiden ad film from this local clothing line is a timeless boy-meets-girl tale that aims to make everyone feel like a star when wearing the Bulan Bintang collection this Raya.

ERA Foods Malaysia Tetamu | ERA Raya 2023

This emotional ad from food FMCG company ERA Foods, which shows how a man’s poverty is not a hindrance to help others: all in the name of practising the teachings of Allah on giving to those who need most.

EtiqaEtiqa Raya 2023 – Panorama Abah Den

While most families return to their villages during the Raya festivities, this ad from insurance company Etiqa depicts a situation where the festivity is celebrated in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. What starts out as a humorous tale of city sightseeing turns into an emotional tale of why this city visit matters.

HRD CorpHRD Corp Raya 2023: Peluang Kedua

An emotional ad from the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp), this four-minute ad teaches viewers the value of second chances–as there is still time left to try, time left to fight.

Julie’s BiscuitsRaya 2023 | Kisah Raya P.E.R.I.T | [BM Subs] | Julie’s Biscuits

Conceptualised by GOVT Singapore, this newest Raya ad from the local biscuit brand brings to attention the challenges that one faces as a single parent such as the typical, yet critical judgements usually dished out to single parents, especially during the festive season.

PETRONAS PETRONAS RAYA 2023: Dilema Irama

The local energy group PETRONAS has released yet another great emotional Raya ad: this time focusing on the timeless power of music: regardless of genre and time period. The ad, conceptualised alongside Mediabrands Content Studio (MBCS), is a sweet tale of a father and son music duo who find reconciliation in the music passion they have.

Puteri Malaysia Puteri Raya 2023 – Puteri Mana Yang Hebat | Iklan Ramadan | Hari Raya 2023

For food company Puteri, their Raya ad is all about the message of building these familial relationships during the festive season–even if it means coming from recent misunderstandings.

Saiji MalaysiaIklan Ramadan SAJI 2023 | SABAR

Lastly, this ad from cooking oil brand Saiji teaches viewers on the virtue of patience and the importance of always practising such virtue–even when faced with everyday challenges and issues.

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The list showcases the most engaging ads that people choose to watch during this period, and are determined in no particular order by an algorithm that factors in watch time, organic views, paid views, and audience retention. This list was extracted on April 27, 2023 and captures data from March 22 to April 25, 2023.