KUCHING: The TikTok Shop Live Selling Competition marks a significant push by the Sarawak government to accelerate the digitalisation of local businesses and boost their access to global markets.

Deputy Sarawak Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan officially launched the competition at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching, during the International Digital Economy Conference Sarawak 2025 (IDECS25) on Thursday.

Datuk Amar Awang Tengah, who also serves as the Minister for Natural Resources & Urban Development II and Minister for International Trade, Industry and Investment, highlighted the launch as another key milestone in Sarawak's continuous efforts to drive the growth of local entrepreneurs, empowering them to embrace digital innovation and participate actively in the global online marketplace.

He cited impressive figures illustrating the rapid expansion of Sarawak’s e-commerce sector.

"Total income surged by 72.2 percent, rising from RM22.7 billion in 2015 to RM39.1 billion in 2022. Crucially, the e-commerce income generated by Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) grew by an average of 8.1 percent annually, reaching RM10.7 billion in 2022.

"The government's ambitious target, set under the Sarawak Digital Economy Blueprint 2030, is to achieve 80 percent digitalisation of MSMEs by the decade's end, a move aimed at unlocking innovation and providing global market access."

The Sarawak Digital Mall, spearheaded by the Ministry of International Trade, Industry and Development (MINTRED) in collaboration with the Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC) and TikTok Shop, was noted as a flagship success story.

The Deputy Sarawak Premier stated that MINTRED was the first government agency in Malaysia to form a strategic partnership with TikTok Malaysia, which began in 2023.

"The programme began with only 105 Sarawakian sellers, yet achieved an impressive gross sales value exceeding RM1 million, proving the potential of digital platforms to expand Sarawak-made products beyond Malaysia,” he said.

Building on this initial success, a two-year partnership was established in 2024 to globally promote the Sarawak Digital Mall Pesta Lokal.

By the second quarter of 2025, the Digital Mall had recorded RM11.9 million in sales, benefiting over 1,000 participants and 350 sellers.

Datuk Amar Awang Tengah affirmed the Sarawak government's commitment to building a vibrant digital economy that uplifts communities, drives prosperity, and positions Sarawak as a leading hub for digital trade and entrepreneurship.-UKASnews