He said there were also supermarkets which set a huge fee for the SMEs to display their products at their premises.

SUNGAI PETANI: Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Mukhriz Tun Dr Mahathir today expressed regret over the refusal by some hypermarkets to sell products produced by local Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). 

He said various efforts were made by the ministry to help the SMEs, including to help improve the quality of their products, but regretted the attitude of the hypermarkets concerned for not extending the necessary assistance.

He said there were also supermarkets which set a huge fee for the SMEs to display their products at their premises. 

"The ministry is looking into the problem and will ask the supermarkets to ensure products by the SMEs are sold at their premises," he said when addressing more than 50 SME operators in Kedah and Perlis, at a function here today. 

Mukhriz also hoped that owners of hypermarkets with overseas chains would help sell products of Malaysian SMEs overseas.

However, he said, there were some hypermarkets in the country which had come forward to assist the government in helping the SMEs. 

These supermarkets not only helped to sell the products, they also set up service centres to help the SMEs improve the quality of their products, he added. 

He said the government also provided assistance for the SMEs to sell their products abroad. -- BERNAMA