CECCM Launches Women Entrepreneurs Committee in Malaysia

A NEW platform comprising women entrepreneurs from Chinese businesses in Malaysia has been launched to boost collaboration and expand professional networks and cooperation among businesses in both countries.

The China Enterprises Chamber of Commerce in Malaysia (CECCM) has established its working committee for women entrepreneurs to encourage women entrepreneurs' leadership, networking and mutual cooperation.

The first chair unit for the committee would be the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (M) Bhd (ICBC Malaysia), said CECCM vice-president and chairman of the committee on women entrepreneurs Geng Hao.

She said the launch coincided with China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, and Malaysia’s 13th Malaysia Plan, creating fresh opportunities for deeper bilateral cooperation.

“Chinese enterprises have become an important force in supporting Malaysia’s economic and social development as well as advancing the China-Malaysia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” she said during the launch ceremony in Kuala Lumpur.

The committee began with over 30 founding member companies, combining know-how in international cooperation, technological innovation, and professional services with know-how in corporate management.

Key Highlights:

• CECCM launches a women entrepreneurs committee to strengthen China–Malaysia business ties
• The committee begins with 30+ founding companies, with ICBC Malaysia as its first chair unit
• Malaysia records 41.9% women in senior management, well above the global average

Geng Hao said the committee thrived in Malaysia, due to the country's open and inclusive business environment and the fact that women are actively participating in leadership roles.

“According to the 2026 Women in Business Report, women now hold 41.9% of senior management positions in Malaysia, significantly higher than the global average of 32.9%,” she said.

The committee's purpose was to bring together women from Chinese enterprises, and to function as a liaison between women entrepreneurs in China and Malaysia to forge a closer future for the two countries, Geng said.

In the meantime, China and Malaysia have been continuously strengthening cooperation in trade and investment, and people to people exchanges in the past 52 years of diplomatic ties, said CECCM president Ni Qingjiu.

Malaysia was one of the major partners for China in Asean and was a good place for Chinese enterprises to invest in, he said.

“Women entrepreneurs, executives and professionals play an increasingly important role in corporate decision-making, business development, team building and cross-cultural engagement,” he said.

The committee would serve as a venue to discuss ideas among women business leaders and professionals, promote collaboration and support business growth and corporate social responsibility, Ni added.

The general manager of China Unicom Operations (M) Sdn Bhd, Zoe Li Zehui, said Malaysia was a good place for investment due to its political and legal stability and Malaysia's support for digitalization, which matched global trends moving towards online services.

Maggie Yao, managing director of Yingk Consulting Sdn Bhd said that the inclusive and diverse workforce in Malaysia combined with the government's push to ensure foreign direct investment was welcome to businesses.