Belanjawan 2025: Economic Empowerment via F&B Social Entrepreneurship

AWANI NIAGA SPOTLIGHT features a successfully executed BUDGET 2024 socioeconomic project, featuring a panel discussion with Yayasan Hasanah and Pepper Labs. It highlights how digital innovation and active entrepreneurship in the Digital Economy can be encouraged with technology via public, private and philanthropy partnership.

The panel discussion featured Puan Siti Kamariah Ahmad Subki, Trustee and Managing Director of Yayasan Hasanah, along with our esteemed partner, Ir Kuhan Pathy, Founder, Pepper Labs. The live interview entitled “Economic Empowerment via F&B Social Entrepreneurship”, was a timely conversation in conjunction with #Belanjawan2025.

Siti Kamariah Ahmad Subki at AWANI Niaga
Puan Siti Kamariah Ahmad Subki, Trustee & Managing Director, Yayasan Hasanah

Siti Kamariah shared in the interview, “Yayasan Hasanah as a champion for public-private-philanthropic partnership, actively promotes collaborative solutions with partners such as Pepper Labs. This works by bringing together businesses and government agencies…to encourage cross-advocates for socioeconomic challenges.”

“With regards to social procurement, it’s a gamechanger as it includes social and environmental considerations into procurement; something that would benefit marginalised communities such as those in PPR housings, promoting local development and supporting social entrepreneurs on the ground. It ensures private resources are directed and allocated to where it’s needed the most. And it’s something that’s in your hands – your spending power – powerful to helping your neighbours and the community. Something as easy as ordering dinner.”

(Seated L to R) Panel speakers Ir. Kuhan Pathy, Siti Kamariah Ahmad Subki and host Tehmina Kaoosji with the Yayasan Hasanah squad

Emphasising the importance of sustainable impact over a long period of time, Siti Kamariah further highlighted the observable shift from short-term philanthropic intervention –  one-off in nature – to one with lasting catalytic positive change.

The full episode is now available on Astro AWANI’s official YouTube channel.