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BUSINESS • 26/09/2026 02:02 PM

Meta, KUSKOP Launch Small Business Growth Academy To Empower Malaysian MSMEs With AI, WhatsApp For Business Tools

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 26 (Bernama) -- Meta Platforms Inc has launched the Small Business Growth Academy (SBGA) to help Malaysian micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) use AI-enabled tools and WhatsApp for Business to find and connect with customers, improve productivity and grow across borders.

The initiative was in partnership with the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Cooperatives Development (KUSKOP).

Meta said research has found that eight in 10 Malaysians prefer messaging to reach a business, and the SBGA supports MSMEs in meeting that demand.

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“The SBGA delivers free webinars and in-person workshops on AI-enabled advertising, high-performing Instagram Reels, WhatsApp for Business, cross-border commerce, and the newly launched Meta Business Agent – an AI agent that helps businesses respond to customers 24x7, directly within their existing chat threads.

“All SBGA training content is also available for free on the Meta Blueprint online learning platform, so more Malaysian small businesses can access it,” the US-based technology conglomerate said in a statement.

Meanwhile, KUSKOP minister Steven Sim said the SBGA supports the government’s PowerUp10K initiative to build the capacity of 100,000 entrepreneurs nationwide.

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“MSMEs make up 97 per cent of our businesses and nearly half of our workforce.  When a local seller in Penang or Sarawak is empowered with WhatsApp Business and AI tools, we are not just helping one enterprise scale – we are moving closer to our goal of MSMEs contributing half of Malaysia’s gross domestic product by 2030,” he was quoted as saying in the statement.

The SBGA is the next chapter of Meta’s MSME upskilling programmes with government partners, including the National Entrepreneurship Institute (INSKEN), SME Corporation Malaysia, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) - which has reached over 6,500 Malaysian businesses since 2022.

-- BERNAMA

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