MDSIDA Urges Direct Selling Industry To Embrace Technology, Drive Growth

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 (Bernama) – The Malaysian Direct Selling Industry Development Association (MDSIDA) urges industry players to embrace technological transformation, including artificial intelligence (AI), to drive growth while maintaining ethical and compliance standards.

Its president, Datuk Seri Dr Barani Karunakaran, said AI will play an important role in the future of the direct selling industry, offering further opportunities to improve productivity and business operations.

"AI can help companies scale training, distributors communicate better, improve productivity, customer engagement, content creation, data analysis, business systems and, more importantly,  knowledge and training.

"Direct selling has always been a people business. The future will not be AI replacing people. The future will be people using AI to become more effective, more productive, and more connected," he said in his speech at MDSIDA's new name and logo launch ceremony, here today.

MDSIDA has previously been known as the Malaysian Direct Distribution Association (MDDA) and the Multi-Level Marketing International Association (MLMA).

Barani said MDSIDA also plans to strengthen engagement between its members and the authorities by providing a platform for industry challenges to be discussed openly, knowledge to be shared, and solutions to be developed collectively.

“We also want to continue educating the public on the difference between legitimate direct selling and unethical schemes that damage the reputation of our industry.

"Moving forward, MDSIDA will continue to be a bridge between the industry and government, a platform for our members, and a responsible voice for Malaysia's direct selling industry," he added.

In 2024, Malaysia’s direct selling industry grew 7.4 per cent to RM34.4 billion from RM32.04 billion in 2023.

-- BERNAMA