"Government needs assistance: Rafizi revives Ayuh Malaysia, aiming to strengthen social enterprises within the 'third sector'"
In March 2022, Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli launched "Ayuh Malaysia," a social enterprise initiative aimed at benefiting society rather than purely for profit. The campaign was initially conceived to attract the support of voters on the fence during the 15th General Election.
Rafizi, the former economy minister, believes that a strong third sector will help ease the government's financial burden in the future. He stated that Malaysia currently relies heavily on the public and private sectors for goods and services, with little focus on social enterprises.
The Ayuh Malaysia initiative focuses on community empowerment, livelihood, and inclusivity, particularly for women, youth, and marginalized groups. The pilot project, involving seven social enterprises, will take six months to assess the response.
In light of Malaysia's aging population, Rafizi emphasizes the importance of the third sector. He mentioned that in other countries, especially those with aging populations like Malaysia, the third sector is absolutely crucial but is rarely discussed in Malaysia.
The current status of social enterprises in Malaysia shows active support through capacity-building grants aimed at enhancing social enterprise ecosystems. The UNDP, for instance, has been funding training programs, community engagement, and the promotion of mission-driven enterprises since July 2025. This initiative works with 50 selected communities and aims to create a central social enterprise-community network in Johor, thereby expanding the social enterprise ecosystem and income generation.
Looking ahead, social enterprises in Malaysia are expected to experience growing institutional support and integration into national and regional sustainability frameworks. Malaysia is leading various ASEAN sustainable development initiatives, fostering inclusive and sustainable business environments and improving regulatory frameworks for sustainability reporting.
Rafizi aims to ensure that the Ayuh Malaysia initiative is not used for personal gain. He stresses that this drive towards the third sector needs to be led by the people. During the drafting of the 13th Malaysia Plan, Rafizi emphasized the importance of establishing and strengthening the third sector in the country.
While specific updates on the current status of Ayuh Malaysia may not be explicitly mentioned in recent search results, the ongoing development of similar initiatives like the UNDP's capacity grants effectively fosters grassroots development aligned with Malaysia’s ASEAN leadership and SDG commitments.
For more precise or updated information specifically on Ayuh Malaysia, official UNDP Malaysia or Malaysian government resources may be recommended to confirm its status and plans.
- Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli, the former economy minister, thinks that developing a strong third sector, such as social enterprises, will help reduce the financial burden on the Malaysian government in the future.
- The Ayuh Malaysia initiative, launched by Rafizi, focuses on community empowerment, livelihood, and inclusivity, with a particular emphasis on women, youth, and marginalized groups.
- In the context of Malaysia's aging population, Rafizi highlights the importance of the third sector and points out that it is vital in countries with aging populations but often overlooked in Malaysia.
- Looking towards the future, social enterprises in Malaysia can anticipate growing institutional support and integration into national and regional sustainability frameworks, contributing to Malaysia's active participation in various ASEAN sustainable development initiatives.
