Kuala Lumpur, 29th Jan 2026
A total of 71 foreign food and beverage (F&B) franchisors were registered to operate in Malaysia as of Dec 31, 2025, representing 42% of the 170 F&B franchisors on the national register, the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (Kuskop) said.
In a written parliamentary reply published on Parliament’s website, the ministry said the government was aware of the challenges faced by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), particularly in the franchise sector, from the entry of international companies offering lower-priced food and beverage products backed by scale and global supply chains.
“Kuskop ensures that only foreign franchisor applications that are genuinely qualified and capable of contributing to the national economy are approved for registration,” the ministry said.
The reply was in response to a question from Siti Mastura Muhammad (PN-Kepala Batas) on the mechanisms the government plans to implement to protect local economic players, especially domestic MSMEs, from intense competition arising from the entry of international firms.
Separately, Kuskop said its agencies had rolled out programmes to expand market access for MSME products, including live-streaming initiatives and free studio facilities through collaborations between Tekun Nasional and TikTok Shop.
The initiatives aim to raise entrepreneurs’ sales value, alongside Pernas’ MyMall platform, which provides free online marketing space for MSME products and services.
Source: The Edge
Full Article: https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/791038
