KOTA BAHARU, Nov 16 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's 643,000 small medium enterprise (SME) entrepreneurs have been urged to work towards penetrating the Asean market next year.

Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamad in making this call said they should take full advantage of Malaysia assuming the chairmanship of Asean in 2015 to more actively market their products in the region.

He also cautioned that if they failed to do so, they would lose out on an excellent opportunity to enhance their business and quality of life.

"SME entrepreneurs must break into the Asean market as the domestic scenario is too small with just 30 million people. But Asean has a 620 million population and imagine if, we can just sell soya or chilli sauce or fish crackers (keropok).

"By breaking into foreign markets, their business will surely grow," he added.

Mustapa told reporters this after officiating the Kelantan Halal Products Transformation Programme 2015 here today.

He said Miti had drawn up a masterplan from 2012 to 2020 to help propel the SME industry and in this regard, there would be an exhibition and seminar involving SMEs from Asean in 2015.

"Next year, the Asean Economic Community will be declared, and the region will be more open in respect of trade barriers and no tariffs for the purchase of goods from overseas," he added.

Mustapa said only about 10,000 SME entrepreneurs had at present utilised the opportunity to penetrate the Asean market and this number was deemed too small.

He also said that next year, his ministry would gather SME entrepreneurs from throughout Kelantan to assist them in promoting their products, not just in the domestic market, but also overseas.