Social Entrepreneurship Blueprint

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The key takeaways are that social enterprises aim to create both social impact and economic value, and balance these dual objectives. They address social or environmental issues through market-based approaches.

The primary characteristic is that a social enterprise balances both impact and business to solve social/environmental issues through market-driven offerings. The secondary characteristics are being inclusive, transparent, and accountable to shareholders/beneficiaries.

Challenges include rigidity and lack of awareness, lack of legal recognition and policies, negative perception, lack of quality human capital and access to financial capital, and lack of support for growth and scaling.

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Tonibung

Johor Area Rehabilitation Organisation

Les Petits Chefs

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Published by
Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre (MaGIC)
Social Entrepreneurship Unit
Block 3730, Persiaran APEC
63000 Cyberjaya, Malaysia
www.se.mymagic.my
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure that the information
contained and herein is correct at the time of publication, MaGIC shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies which may occur.

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY

Primary: A social enterprise is an entity which

social

balances both impact and business in order to

areas of education, poverty, rural development,

solve a legitimate social or environmental issue

environmental sustainability, employment for the

through its offerings, which are driven by market

marginalised, and at-risk youth.

enterprises

operating

mostly

in

the

needs.
Several challenges and missed opportunities need
Secondary: A social enterprise is an entity that

to be unlocked to unleash the full potential of social

operates by being inclusive and transparent in

entrepreneurship. These include:

Having evolved from the traditional for-profit,

its activities, while being fully accountable to its

Rigidity and lack of institutional awareness

non-profit, and public sectors, impact-driven and

shareholders and beneficiaries.

Lack of legal recognition and policy structure


Negative public perception and recognition

entrepreneurial individuals have been pioneering


social enterprise, a new form of enterprise. This

Countries

like

model unleashes value not only through economic

States,

wealth creation but also by creating beneficial

Singapore, Myanmar and Australia regard social

impact to society and the environment.

entrepreneurship as a key national agenda and have

South

the

United

Korea,

Kingdom,

Vietnam,

United

Thailand,

Lack of access to quality human capital


Lack of access to sizable financial capital
Lack of support to grow and scale

set up agencies to champion the growth of social

The Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint is a three-

Social entrepreneurship is a unique sector; currently

enterprises in the country. For example, in Thailand,

year roadmap that describes the strategic thrusts

one without a succinct, accurate description of what

there are now over 120,000 social enterprises. In

needed to accelerate the development of the sector.

is a social enterprise. This lack of a definition has

the United Kingdom, there are over 70,000 social

By the year 2018, we aim for the Malaysian social

led to confusion among stakeholders and potential

enterprises. They employ over a million people and

entreprise sector to be self-sustaining, equitable,

entrepreneurs. While there may not be a universal

contribute more than 5% to national GDP.

and people-centric in order to empower impactdriven entrepreneurs.

definition, social enterprises have primary and


secondary characteristics.

In Malaysia, it is estimated that there are 100

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

To achieve this, the blueprint identifies three

to encourage the development of more partnerships,

Social entrepreneurship is still embryonic in

fundamental building blocks to develop the sector:

collaborations, and intermediaries. This can result

Malaysia. This is the perfect opportunity for us to

I) social enterprises and social entrepreneurs

in policy discussions and development, strategic

invest strategically to ensure the development of a

II) larger ecosystem

investment, training organisations, capital creation,

sector that will transform the nations economy to

III) institutions including public and private players

and synergies.

one that is more equitable and sustainable.

The three strategic thrusts will inspire a movement,

Affect systemic changes

create an enabling ecosystem, and affect

Enabling sector-wide systemic changes where

systemic changes. Each thrust is supported by

regulatory, tax, and administrative frameworks are

three main catalysts.

introduced to ensure that the sectors development


continues beyond the time horizon of this blueprint.

Inspire a movement

These systemic changes catalyse a tipping point,

Building a critical mass of sustainable social

unleashing an enabling environment and a whole

enterprises to inspire a movement in support

new market for social enterprises.

of social entrepreneurship. This is achieved by


generating awareness in grassroots communities

The development of the social enterprise sector

as well as by equipping them with the necessary

in Malaysia is both a challenging and daunting

skills, knowledge, and capital to launch and scale

task. It requires complete buy-in and commitment

their social enterprises.

from all parties involved. However, this has been


done in various countries, which have successfully

Create an enabling ecosystem


Creating

more

inclusive

and

implemented a national blueprint, masterplan or


cross-sector

participation, including the private and public sectors,

strategy, including Thailand, South Korea and the


United Kingdom.

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Table of contents
FOREWORD BY PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA

01

FOREWORD BY MaGIC CHAIRMAN

02

FOREWORD BY MaGIC CEO & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

03

ABOUT MaGIC

04

ABOUT MaGIC SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

05

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

06

CHAPTER 1: WHAT IS SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP?

08

CHAPTER 2: SITUATIONAL CONTEXT FOR SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN MALAYSIA

23

CHAPTER 3: CHALLENGES IN DEVELOPING THE SECTOR

33

CHAPTER 4: APPROACH IN CATALYZING THE SECTOR

42

CHAPTER 5: THRUST 1 - INSPIRE A MOVEMENT

48

CHAPTER 6: THRUST 2 - CREATE AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT

55

CHAPTER 7: THRUST 3 - AFFECT SYSTEMIC CHANGES

62

CHAPTER 8: EXPECTED OUTCOMES

67

CHAPTER 9: CONCLUSION

71

REFERENCES

74

APPENDIX I EXISTING DEFINITIONS FOR SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

75

APPENDIX II WORKING DEFINITION FOR SOCIAL ENTERPRISE IN MALAYSIA

80

APPENDIX III MALAYSIAN SOCIAL ENTERPRISE ECOSYSTEM

83

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

I
FOREWORD BY
PRIME MINISTER OF
MALAYSIA

Malaysias strong economic record and a steady


GDP growth over the past 50 years is a testimony to
the entrepreneurialism of our rakyat. As we approach
2020 and become a high-income nation, we must
ensure that we build a people-centric economy that
is sustainable and equitable.
Although the economic growth of the nation is
looking optimistic, the government is also aware
of the growing inequity that is slowly emerging
as a result of the disparity in the socio-economic

development. The role of social entrepreneurship

This Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint by

in promoting a sutainable and equitable economic

MaGIC Social Entrepreneurship is a bold and

growth has been a focus of many governments

ambitious

around the world.

the social enterprise sector in Malaysia. Through

strategy

towards

radically

growing

this strategy, I believe that we will create a strong


In the United Kingdom, for example, since the

foundation and environment for social enterprises

launch of the national social enterprise strategy

to grow so I encourage all sectors to be involved in

in 2002, the government has invested billions of

realising this blueprint.

pounds in the sector. Today, there are over 70,000


social enterprises employing more than a million

Together, we can make social enterprises grow

people and contributing more than 5% to UKs GDP.

bigger and stronger in our economy and ensure that

In 2014, it is estimated that the top 1,161 social

we create long-term benefit for our rakyat at the

enterprises in the UK generated 2.5bn (RM13.5bn)

same time.

profit to plough back into society.


The Government recognises the potential of social
entrepreneurship in not only addressing our countrys
pressing issues but also redefining how business
should work in order to achieve a people-centric
economy. That is why in 2013, I announced RM20m
for the Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity
Centre (MaGIC) to set up a social entrepreneurship
unit to catalyse impact-driven enterprises.

YAB Dato Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul


Razak
Prime Minister of Malaysia

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

II
FOREWORD BY MaGIC
CHAIRMAN
Over the last few years, we have witnessed
a new generation of Malaysian entrepreneurs
who are focused not only on creating wealth but
also addressing major social and environmental
issues that are close to their heart. This band
of social entrepreneurs are creating a growing
momentum where more and more Malaysians are
deciding to give back to the community through
enterprising means. This is a positive change in our
entrepreneurship landscape.
Although social entrepreneurship isnt new in
places like the United Kingdom, United States
of America and Northern Europe, its a growing

movement here in Malaysia. In these countries,

believe

that

this

movement

for

social

social entrepreneurship is regarded as a key national

entrepreneurship will ensure a more equitable and

agenda and an important driver of economic growth

sustainable economic growth. When the people

that is both equitable and sustainable. Within

prosper, the country prosper as well.

ASEAN itself, countries like Thailand, Vietnam


and Singapore have set up government agencies

This Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint is not just

dedicated to spearhead the growth of social

a document. It is an encapsulation of the dreams

entrepreneurship.

and aspirations of Malaysians who wish to make


this country a better place for all. I encourage all

While social entrepreneurs in Malaysia have

sectors to be involved in this movement to build a

delivered significant impact to their communities

nation that is prosperous and resilient.

and the environment, there are still many barriers


left in their way to grow and ultimately multiply their
impact.
In 2013, the Prime Minister set up a social
entrepreneurship unit under the Malaysian Global
Innovation and Creativity Centre (MaGIC) to catalyse
impact-driven enterprises. The role of MaGIC Social
Entrepreneurship to build cross-sector partnerships,
tapping into the strengths and resources of each
sector to drive this movement, will be key to the
growth of social entrepreneurship in Malaysia.

Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah


Secretary-General of Treasury
Ministry of Finance
Chairman
MaGIC

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

MaGIC Social Entrepreneurship has been mandated

The Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint is not a

to develop this sector. We are spearheading

roadmap developed in isolation from other sectors.

the growth through a strategic and pragmatic

It is a roadmap that describes the potential for

approach which is centred on the community of

social entrepreneurs to contribute effectively in the

FOREWORD BY
MaGIC CEO &
EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF
SOCIAL
ENTREPRENEURSHIP

social entrepreneurs. In the past few months since

development and progression of our country to

the units inception, we have conducted several

become a fully developed nation. We passionately

community outreach programmes, especially with

believe that we can make Malaysia the regional

rural and remote communities. We have trained

leader for a people economy. We will achieve this

hundreds of budding social entrepreneurs and

through our mission to unleash the potential of

committed RM500,000 to five social enterprises to

social entrepreneurship to drive long-term benefit

help them grow and scale.

for society and the environment.

MaGIC Social Entrepreneurship is also coordinating

We hope that you will join us on this journey to

Social entrepreneurship in Malaysia is still in its very

the development of this sector by fostering

transform this sector. Together we hope that we can

early stages. The sector has largely been driven by a

collaboration between the public, private, and

create a sector that is resilient, self-sustaining, and

passionate, like-minded community with occasional

social sectors through a series of consultations and

more importantly, equitable for all.

support from the public and private sectors alike.

discussions to better understand what is needed to

While the community of social entrepreneurs in

develop the social entreprise sector in Malaysia. We

Malaysia has delivered significant impact to their

have uncovered unique insights that have shaped

communities and to the environment, there are still

the development of the Malaysian Social Enterprise

many barriers that stand in their way to grow and

Blueprint. As a result, we have a blueprint which is

ultimately amplify their impact.

truly people-centric by design.

III

Cheryl Yeoh
CEO
MaGIC
Ehon Chan
Executive Director
MaGIC Social Entrepreneurship

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

IV

ABOUT MaGIC

The journey of MaGIC began as a startup itself

you and the next step of moving your startup to a

in April 2014. We share the same passion and

regional and global level. We make sure there are no

experience of taking the leap of faith into the

missing links in the journey of an entrepreneur.

world of startups. MaGIC serves as the platform to

difference within their community.


Whichever startup track you are embarking on or are
already in, MaGIC can make a positive difference to

support entrepreneurs to grow and develop so they

Taking the first step will always be the hardest.

can compete regionally and, eventually, globally.

Your journey into the startup ecosystem will be

your journey. MaGIC happens when you believe.

more impactful with the right support system and


As part of the ecosystem, MaGIC aims to drive and

community. Through our various programs and

catalyse the entrepreneurial spirit in Malaysia. Most

initiatives, there is certainly something that will

importantly, we strive to connect the pieces together.

be highly beneficial and useful to those who have

We are here to be the connecting bridge between

always believed in taking a challenge and making a

For more information visit: www.mymagic.my

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

ABOUT MaGIC SOCIAL


ENTREPRENEURSHIP
MaGIC Social Entrepreneurship (SE) is a dedicated

environment. To achieve its vision and mission, the

Academy

team within MaGIC that is responsible for fulfilling

social entrepreneurship team is organized around

Upskilling, knowledge, and capabilities for social

the mandate given by the government to develop

three key focus areas:

entrepreneurs through a structured learning program

the social enterprise sector in Malaysia through its


special allocation of RM20 million funding.

to equip social enterprises to be investment-ready.


Community & Outreach
Focusing on generating awareness and buy-in

The vision of the social entrepreneurship team is

among the stakeholders, grassroots, and rural

to make Malaysia the regional leader for a people

communities on the potential and opportunities

economy. This is achieved through its mission to

related to social entrepreneurship.

unleash the potential of social entrepreneurship


to drive long-term benefits for society and the

Ventures
Investing in social entrepreneurs and enterprises
through grant funding for both pilot and growth
stage social enterprises in order to materialise their
social or environmental impact.
For more information visit: www.se.mymagic.my

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We would like to thank the following organisations and their representatives for their
input towards the development of this blueprint.

b@g@b@pnna

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Chapter 1
What is social
entrepreneurship?
1.1 Why social entrepreneurship?

09

1.2 Definition, understanding & characteristics

13

1.3 Connecting and synergizing the sectors

16

1.4 A viable form of investment

21

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

1.1

distribution of households by Income Class,

Why social
entrepreneurship?
Having evolved from the traditional for-profit,

The current economic model has created immense

non-profit, and public sectors, impact-driven and

wealth for the majority of the population. While it

entrepreneurial individuals have been pioneering

has alleviated people from poverty and unlocked

social enterprise, a new form of enterprise. This

benefits that have been previously unavailable, the

model unleashes value not only through economic

current economic model is still not equitable.

wealth creation but also by creating beneficial


impact to society and the environment. Social

Based on the Malaysian Department of Statistics

entrepreneurship is the only form of enterprise that

2012 census, 5% of Malaysian households earn

has the potential to radically transform capitalism

less than RM1,000 per month. This is roughly 1.5

as we know it by resolving social or environmental

million Malaysians. Urban and rural households

issues that are neglected by the traditional sectors.

earning less than RM500 were estimated at 87,720


and 292,400 respectively, for the same period. On

Given its unique composition of creating social

the other hand, the number of households earning

impact and entrepreneurship, this sector has the

more than RM5,000 per month is three times higher

potential to solve major and often neglected issues

in urban areas than in rural areas (2012, Malaysian

faced in our nation and globally.

Department of Statistics Table 1 Percentage

Malaysia, 1970 2012).


As more emphasis is given to rapid economic
development and growth, the current economic
model

continues

to

be

detrimental

to

the

environment. Our primary source of energy is still


derived from non-renewable sources. A lack of
social innovation has hindered our ability to elevate
those who are underserved or not served by the
market to enjoy the same quality of life as the rest of
the population.
One of the reasons social entrepreneurship has been
receiving recognition is due to traditional sectors
increasingly becoming outdated and ineffective.

10

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Sector

Factors of a shift

Reducing reliance on unpredictable sources of income to

Main benefits

sustain operations

Non-Profit

Increasing ability to scale up impact while being more

grow operations

cost-effective in reaching beneficiaries


Expanding scope of impact beyond the current beneficiary

Creating a distinctive capability and advantage by tapping

For-Profit

Contributing more to the community through more

Attracting and retaining talent by providing an opportunity

Reducing the cost of public service and goods delivery

Increasing the quality of the public service and goods


delivery

Government

Responding quickly to the needs of the public

Reaching out to a public previously beyond reach

Establish presence and footprint in a new market through


social or environmental contributions

for employees to provide in-kind support


Provide returns to shareholders who are increasingly more


conscious about investment

strategic and coordinated philanthropy


Availability of funding to invest strategically in products/


services for beneficiaries

into a traditionally non-viable market


Independence and ability to utilise funding not earmarked


for specific purpose

profile

Creation of reliable sources of income to help maintain or

Contributing back beyond financial means, through inkind support and capabilities

Cost-effective means to serve the public with basic


services and goods

Provide more customer-centric focus in terms of delivery


of public service and goods

Inclusive and participative form of government where all


are served
Table 1.1: Factors favouring the shift towards social enterprise

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Social entrepreneurship is a rapidly growing sector

entrepreneurship through affordable design and its

due to its ability to develop social innovations that

ability to transcend geographic boundaries as a

are financially viable to private sector investors.

channel to connect with beneficiaries.

11

Technological advances have also catalysed social

Teaching underprivileged children at ARUS Academy

12

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

As a result of for-profit and non-profit sector


players supporting social entrepreneurs within their

Case study #1: Embrace

communities, the social innovation that is created


out of the entrepreneurial sector is evident, albeit
difficult to quantify. Technology and social innovation,
the primary domains of academic institutions and
corporate research and development units, are now
being rapidly adopted and introduced to the market
by highly driven and motivated entrepreneurs.

Embrace is a social enterprise that focuses on

survival. Prior to the introduction of this thermal wear,

improving the survival of premature and low birth

access to infant incubators in developing countries

weight infants by providing extremely affordable

and communities was extremely expensive and

and effective thermal wear. Established in 2007

difficult.

by a group of five Stanford University students,


today they have saved over 144,000 infants

By

introducing

affordable

and

easy-to-operate

globally with over 4,400 health workers trained

thermal wear for premature and low birth weight

along with 9,200 mothers educated on the issue.

infants, Embrace has provided underserved and

Embraces solution enables those with no access

isolated communities with the opportunity to save

to infant incubator machines to have better access

childrens lives.

to the healthcare that is critical for the infants

Source: www.embraceglobal.org

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

1.2

Definition,
understanding &
characteristics

Social entrepreneurship is a unique sector; currently


one without a succinct, accurate description of
what is a social enterprise. This lack of a definition
has led to confusion for stakeholders and potential
entrepreneurs. While there may not be a universal
definition, the inception of this sector has been
primarily attributed to the convergence of the three
traditional sectors; non-profits (social), for-profits
(private), and government (public).
The convergence of the traditional sectors is partly
due to a shift whereby players are adapting certain
traits of other sectors in order to better meet their
objectives and overcome the challenges they face.

13

14

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Sector

Initial Imperative

Emerging Imperative

To deliver basic public services and

Develop a more citizen-centric delivery of public services and goods

goods to the citizens

Increase cost efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of services/goods

To achieve a social or environmental

Develop a new business model that generates additional income

mission for the target beneficiaries

Develop an operating model that is more financially sustainable

To maximize shareholder value

To play a bigger role in advocating for a specific cause or issue

through commercial activities

To operate in a more responsible and ethical manner

Government

Non-Profit

For-Profit
Table 1.2: Emerging imperatives across sectors

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Government, which has been traditionally viewed as

organisations are strengthening their philanthropy

the primary supplier of public services or goods, is

and charitable activities by establishing dedicated

slowly moving towards a people-centric approach.

foundations that contribute both financial and in-

This approach means that more focus and resources

kind support to its target beneficiaries.

are being allocated to deliver public services that


are coherent with the publics increasing demand

As a result of the evolving priorities of the traditional

for access and quality of service. A people-centric

sectors, a fourth sector aptly named as the for-

approach also allows for innovation within the

benefit sector has emerged where impact-driven

service to remain relevant and useful.

and entrepreneurial individuals are solving a social


or environmental issue using viable business means.

Similarly, more and more non-profits are focusing

The for-benefit sector has created many variants of

on improving their operating models to ensure long-

blended entities such as social enterprise, social

term sustainability and longevity. Non-profits are

business, and even socially responsible business.

adopting a new business model where a revenue-

These entities have a strong social or environmental

generating component is used to offset the risk of a

mission at their core and have a business model

fall in donation income.

that creates value not only for the economy, but for
society or the environment as well.

Moreover, for-profits are also strengthening their


charitable activities beyond the current scope of
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs that
typically operate under the organisations marketing
and communication departments. More for-profit

15

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

1.3
FOR-PROFIT

Connecting
& synergising
the sectors

Opportunities to Provide Public


Service through Private Organisations
Calls for Business Ethics

The role of the social enterprise sector is not to


replace existing sectors but rather to connect and
synergise the traditional sectors in order to deliver

Public-Private
Partnerships

Corporate Social
Responsibility

Competitive
Sourcing

Earned-Income
Venture

economic, social, and environmental value for all


enterprises is to leverage on the opportunities and
synergies existing within the traditional sectors in
order to fulfil their social or environmental missions.

SOCIAL
ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Demands for Efficiency


Preferences for Choice
and Competition
Reliance on Business and
Non-profit Service Providers

Third-Party
Government

Demands for Accountability


Demands for Sustainability
Gaps in Public
Service Delivery

Figure 1.1: Social enterprise Venn diagram

NON-PROFIT

stakeholders involved. As such, the role of social

RNMENT
GOVE

16

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

There are several key forces at play among the

Social entrepreneurship is also an avenue for the

traditional sectors that are creating an ecosystem

government to be more proactive and focused in

of opportunity for social entrepreneurs. These

meeting the publics demands and expectations for

forces stem from the need of the non-profit, for-

public services and goods. Government ministries,

profit, and government to meet their objectives

agencies, and proxies which are inundated by

in a new and complex environment. The private

the strict procurement and processes are slowly

sector, for example, is reacting to more ethical and

transferring responsibility to social enterprises

transparent ways of doing business in order to

through a social-public-private partnership model

grow and meet shareholders imperatives. For-profit

based on performance incentives and rewards for

enterprises are looking into social entrepreneurship

social enterprises.

as a demonstration of commitment to go beyond


the traditional corporate responsibility programs to

As government seeks to reduce its operational

deliver more business and social value.

expenses and channel more funds towards services


and goods which are directly impactful to the public,

As more and more businesses turn to social

forward-thinking ministries and agencies are already

entrepreneurship as form of conducting business,

looking into social enterprises to deliver public

opportunities for cross-sector collaboration are

services and goods on governments behalf while

being created with government and the non-profit

simultaneously achieving the goals of increased

sector. This cross-sector collaboration has created

operational and cost efficiencies.

a new need for non-profits to be more transparent,


accountable,

and

most

importantly,

adopt

sustainable means of operating their organisations.

17

18

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Case study #2: United Kingdom G8


Social Investment Task Force
UK Prime Minister David Cameron established the
Social Impact Investment Task Force in 2013, headed
by Sir Ronald Cohen, to coincide with the UK assuming
the presidency of the G8. In 2014, a report entitled
Impact Investment: The Invisible Heart of Markets was
published, which includes four main recommendations
to rapidly advance the social impact sector.

Recommendations from the task force include relaxing


current laws and regulations to enable non-profit status
organisations to be involved in commercial/trading
activities, while also encouraging governments to create
incentives and instruments that ease the process for
social enterprises to start, operate, and grow.

Similarly, the report calls for GBP 1 trillion of capital to be


created to encourage impact investment in this sector.
The GBP 1 trillion recommendation requires a complete
rethinking about the fiduciary duties of foundations, and
pension funds in particular, to invest in impact-centric
organisations.
Source: Social Impact Investment Taskforce, (2014), Impact
Investment: The Invisible Heart of Markets, UKs presidency
of the G8

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Hybrid Spectrum

Traditional
Non-profit

Social
Enterprise

Mission motive
Stakeholder accountability
Income reinvested in social
programs or operational costs

Traditional
For-Profit

Profit-making motive
Shareholder accountability
Profit redistributed to shareholders
Figure 1.2 : Hybrid Spectrum

Social enterprise lies at the junction between non-

viable business means. Further, if the enterprise is

could be categorized into primary and secondary

profit and for-profit organisations. Social enterprise

profitable, it will be able to scale up its operations

characteristics that cover why the social enterprise

has the purpose of a non-profit but the financial rigor

and thus deliver more impact through commercial

exists and how it is operated.

of a for-profit. Within this midsection of the spectrum

or trading activities.

there are several variants that exist in addition to


social enterprise, such as social business, social

The need for a definition is largely due to the necessity

venture, and socially responsible business.

of providing legal context and recognition for this


sector. While there is no universal definition, there

Social enterprise in this context means that a social

are several key characteristics that would describe

entrepreneurs priority is to deliver impact through

a typical social enterprise. These characteristics

19

20

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Primary Characteristics
A social enterprise is an entity which

Business Viability

Impact-Driven

balances both impact and business


in order to solve a legitimate issue
through its offerings, which are

driven by market needs

Secondary Characteristics
A social enterprise is an entity that

Generates income from trading activities

Exists specifically to solve a legitimate issue

by offering products or services that are

that is often neglected by either the public

demanded by the market

or private sector

Sustains and grows itself through business

Exists specifically to serve a customer

means that are, by nature, profitable and

and beneficiary demographic that is often

scalable

underserved by the market

Inclusive Equity

Inclusive Governance

Ownership of the social enterprise is

Decision rights are distributed fairly to its

operates by being inclusive and

distributed fairly to the stakeholders who

shareholders, stakeholders, and potentially

transparent in its activities, while being

are involved in the enterprise

the beneficiaries

fully accountable to its shareholders

and beneficiaries

Governed in a fair and transparent way

distributed between the shareholder,

focused on achieving the mission and

management, and beneficiary

objectives

Responsible & Transparent

Fair Compensation & Returns

Table 1.3 : Characteristics of a social enterprise

Ownership of the social enterprise is fairly

Accountable to the actions and

Compensates its employees fairly in

consequences related to the activities of

recognition for their role and contribution

the social enterprise

to the social enterprise

Discloses information that is accurate and

Provides fair financial returns to its

timely for the purpose of informing the

shareholders in exchange for specific

shareholders and beneficiaries

impact outcomes

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

1.4

A viable
form of
investment

A key challenge for the social enterprise sector is

Social enterprises are increasingly attracting the

a lack of awareness and buy-in from mainstream

attention of a new form of investor who looks

financial institutions and the public sector. Given

beyond

the dual missions of being impact-driven while

Previously, social enterprises would attract mainly

maintaining a healthy bottom line, there is still

wealthy philanthropists as investors. However,

confusion as to how conventional institutions could

given the encouraging returns on investment in

play a role in mainstreaming social enterprise.

the social enterprise sector, mainstream investors

traditional

investments

and

returns.

including corporate foundations, trust organisations,


From the perspective of an investor, the true financial

private equity, venture capital, and, to some extent

value of this sector is extremely difficult to derive

commercial

due to the variety of definitions of social enterprise.

recognizing the financial impact of this sector.

As a result, it is difficult to accurately measure


and identify social enterprise activities. However,
preliminary data has demonstrated that this sector
is able to generate financial returns for investors.

financial

institutions,

are

quickly

21

22

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Figure 1.3 : Average annual financial returns

28%

the impact sector in bringing more capital to resolve

28%

big issues as compared to traditional philanthropy


(Spotlight on the Market 2014, 5).
This is consistent with the UKs G8 Task Force

17%

Report on Social Impact Investment, where a


recommendation was made to create a capital of

11%

GBP 1 trillion by removing barriers and redefining


6%

3%

3%

3%

3%

Loss of more than


15%

Loss of
6% - 10%

Loss of
3% - 5%

Loss of
1% - 2%

the fiduciary duties of charitable foundations and


pension funds specifically (Impact Investment:
The Invisible Heart of Markets, 18). The taskforce

Gain of
1% - 2%

Gain of
3% - 5%

Gain of
5% - 10%

Gain of
11% - 15%

Gain of more than


15%

Financial Times, Investing in Global Impact 2014 Report. Based on


disclosed information by impact investors

recommendation also highlighted that including


impact

as

an

additional

dimension

in

the

investment decision-making process will create an


environment where there is a sizable opportunity for

According to a study conducted by the Financial

In 2014, J.P. Morgan and the Global Impact Investing

social enterprises to tap into and rapidly accelerate

Times in 2014 looking at the financial performance

Network (GIIN) found that of 125 impact investors

the growth of the sector (Impact Investment: The

of several impact investors, for-benefit enterprises

worldwide, 20% have increased their impact

Invisible Heart of Markets 2014, 28).

are more likely to generate 8% to 10% returns

investing commitments from the previous year.

on

for-benefit

According to another 2010 report by J.P. Morgan and

enterprises are registering double-digit financial

the Rockefeller Foundation, the impact-investing

returns, in addition to their social and environmental

market may reach USD 1 trillion by 2020. The growth

impact (Investing for Global Impact 2014, 36).

of impact investment unleashes new potential for

investment.

Moreover,

several

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Chapter 2
Situational context for social
entrepreneurship in Malaysia

2.1 Economic & social challenges

24

2.2. Addressing the challenges

25

2.3 Current state of social entrepreneurship in Malaysia

26

2.4 Transforming & accelerating change

27

23

24

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

2.1

Economic & social


challenges

The development of the Malaysian economy has

However,

fundamental

Almost a quarter of households in Malaysia earn less

been a story of both remarkable strides and of

challenges despite making huge strides in both

than RM 2,000 per month. The state of Kelantan is

missed opportunities to leapfrog other developing

economic and social development. For example,

poorer than Indonesia and a little better off than Sri

countries. The Malaysian Gross Domestic Product

only 24% of the workforce has an education beyond

Lanka, with only half of Kelantans rural households

(GDP) has increased 17.5 times and GDP per person

secondary school and only 10.4% posess a tertiary

having access to running pipe water

has increased 7.8 times from 1980 to 2013. As the

degree. Given the lack of quality talent to fulfil the

State of Households Report 2014, viii). The lack

economy has shown significant growth thanks to its

needs of a high-income nation, Malaysia faces big

of equitable spread of wealth and access to basic

rich resources and export-oriented commodities,

barriers in realising its ambition to become a fully

public services is persistent, which has resulted in

median household income is now one of the highest

developed nation within the next decade (Khazanah

government emphasizing collective economic and

in Asia, after developed nations (Khazanah State of

State of Households Report 2014, 8).

social development.

Households Report 2014, viii).

Malaysia

still

faces

(Khazanah

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

2.2

Addressing
the challenges

Case study #3: UK Peterborough


Social Impact Bond

Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) harness private


capital to achieve measurable gains on social
challenges. SIBs improve the social outcomes
of publicly funded services by making funding
conditional on achieving results. Investors pay
for the project at the start and then receive

We face many social, economic, and environmental

there are still remote and isolated communities that

payments based on the results achieved by the

challenges as a country. While the country

do not have access to reliable and cheap forms

project.

continues to make progress towards becoming a

of electricity. While almost the entire population of

high-income nation there must also be a recognition

Peninsular Malaysia has access to electricity, 5% of

that advancement should not come at the expense

the population of Sabah and Sarawak lack access

of the marginalised and isolated communities of

to electricity (Improving Rural Development 2011,

Malaysia, regardless of political belief, race, gender,

175). This is equivalent to 300,000 people who

and religion.

do not have access to reliable energy; roughly the


population of Kuala Terengganu.

While urban and most rural communities are


connected to the national/state electricity grid,

In 2010, a GBP 5 million Social Impact Bond was


launched to tackle the increasing challenge and
cost of managing recidivism in Peterborough.
A consortium of six companies led by One
Service managed to reduce recidivism by 8%
by providing accommodation, medical services,
family

support,

employment

and

training,

benefits and financial advice.


Source:http://www.socialfinance.org.uk/
impact/criminal-justice/

25

26

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

2.3

Case study #4: Thailand Social


Enterprise Sector

Current state of social


entrepreneurship in Malaysia

Thailands approach to developing the social


enterprise sector has been largely focused on
the community of social entrepreneurs in the
country. The government has had a strong
interest and commitment to develop this sector

The Malaysian social enterprise sector is currently

Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre

through the establishment of a promotion

in its infancy. The sector has been largely driven

(MaGIC).

committee under the Prime Ministers office

by isolated communities in a specific geographic

in 2009.

region or a particular theme. However, there is a

Even though there is an increasing number of

common recognition among key stakeholders that

supporting intermediary organisations for social

In 2010, the government created the Thailand

social enterprise has the potential to solve many

enterprises, including British Council, myHarapan,

Social Enterprise Office (TSEO) in order to

social challenges by utilising the best of for-profit

iM4U,

Social

further develop the sector as a focal point

and non-profit sectors.

Enterprise Alliance, only 0.02% of Malaysians are

for policy development and management

working in social enterprises. In comparison, 1.5%

of the sector. In 2014, TSEO held another

Recognising this potential, Malaysia hosted the

of Chinas working population is working in social

public consultation on the Social Enterprise

Global Social Business Summit in 2013, the very

enterprises (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2013,

first time the summit was held outside of Europe.

30). Although the intermediaries in this sector have

At the summit, the Malaysian Prime Minister, YAB

actively generated awareness and supported the

Dato Sri Najib Razak committed RM 20 million to

community, these initiatives alone are inadequate to

set up a Social Entrepreneurship Unit under the

fully realise the potential of this sector.

Scope

Group,

Tandemic,

and

Promotion Act in order to further mainstream


social entrepreneurship as a legitimate and
recognised sector of the economy.
Source: http://www.asef.org/images/
docs/Session%201.3_Nuttaphong%20
Jaruwannaphong%20%28Thailand%29.pdf

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

2.4

Transforming
& accelerating
change
The social enterprise sector has the potential to play
a pivotal role in the larger transformation journey of

NKRA
Improving Students
(Ministry of Education)

Providing better access to education for remote and isolated


communities through enabling technology and relevant curriculum

Supplementing current national curriculum with relevant industry and


vocational skills to increase post-education options

Empowering students to be more invested in their own education


through self-taught and peer-to-peer learning opportunities

Raising Living Standards

of Low-Income
Households

transformation program. There are several National

(Ministry of Women,

Transformation Program (GTP) 2.0 fit for social

Outcomes

Malaysia, as outlined in the federal governments


Key Results Areas (NKRA) within the Government

Potential role of social enterprise

Family and Community

Providing skill-based programs and workshops for low-income


individuals to be more employable and market ready

Creating market access and opportunities for underserved or


underemployed demographic to generate and increase income

Development)

Designing and developing basic necessities/infrastructure for


durability and affordability to create wealth in physical assets such
as housing

entrepreneurs involvement.
Improving Rural

Development
(Ministry of Rural and

Providing alternatives to basic necessities such as reliable electricity,


sanitation and water supply

Regional Development)

Equipping youth with entrepreneurial and business skills needed to


generate and increase household income

Creating self-sustaining infrastructure independent of existing grids


for remote and rural areas

Table 2.1: NKRAs supporting social enterprise growth

27

28

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Case study #5: Tonibung

Case study #6: TRY Mabul

Tonibung is a social enterprise based in

TRY Mabul is a social enterprise that operates

Penampang, Sabah that provides indigenous

in Mabul Island, Sabah, where the youth

and remote communities with reliable and

of the island have no access to secondary

affordable sources of electricity. The remote

education. The youth of the island are likely to

communities of Sabah do not have access to

experience substance abuse, gambling, and

the states electricity grid and consequently

even being pulled into gangs that prey on the

rely on either diesel generators that are costly

community. TRY Mabul aims to prevent these

to operate, or solar panels that are costly to

destructive habits by providing the youth with

install and complicated to maintain.

the vocational skills needed by the tourism


industry.

Tonibung solves the lack of accessible,


reliable and cheap sources of electricity by

TRY Mabul provides youth with relevant skills

using micro-hydroelectric dams that generate

needed in the local tourism industry, training

reliable and affordable sources of electricity

them in culinary arts, hotel management,

for remote communities. Tonibung also trains

national agenda of growing a more equitable

and tourism skills. TRY Mabul equips the

local indigenous youth with the theoretical

economy and also promoting sustainable social

youth with skills that will give them better

and applied knowledge needed to become

career prospects and escape the poverty

development. This calls for more comprehensive

qualified micro-hydroelectric dam technicians

cycle despite a lack of access to secondary

and long-term investment in the sector to build a

and engineers.

education.

These are just some examples of how social


entrepreneurship can be a key instrument in the

connected ecosystem that supports the movement.

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Case study #7: ARUS Academy


ARUS Academy is a social enterprise based
in Bukit Mertajam, Penang that provides
students from low-income communities and
high-need schools with 21st century learning
opportunities, such as programming and
coding. ARUS Academy works through a
cross-subsidisation model where income
generated from its ARUS camps are used
to sustain its Academy courses aimed at
disadvantaged youth from the community.

ARUS provides better access to quality


education that complements the current
national

curriculum.

By

bringing

STEM

(Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math)


and Maker Education to their beneficiaries,
ARUS inspires its students to become better
learners, encourages them to pursue higher
education, and supports them to ultimately
escape the poverty cycle.

29

30

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Case study #8: EPIC Homes


EPIC Homes is a social enterprise based
in

Selangor

that

provides

indigenous

communities with affordable and quick-toassemble housing. 82% of Orang Asli are in
need of housing aid in Peninsular Malaysia,
approximately 12,322 families.

EPIC Homes works by connecting volunteers


with the indigenous community and training
volunteers
courses

to

become

builders

through

and

training

programs.

After

volunteers are sufficiently trained, they are


dispatched to an indigenous community for a
build project. Houses can be built for around
RM 50,000.00 and within a week. EPIC
Homes is now improving its house design
and venturing into disaster recovery projects
as part of its growth strategy.

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Case study #9: Biji-Biji


Founded in 2012, Biji-Biji is a social enterprise

Biji-Biji

that champions sustainable living and minimising

sustainable

carbon footprint. Through the use of green

workshops.

technology, waste management methods, and

watering

charges

clients

builds,

for

product

Their

services:

design

and
By 2015, Biji-Biji generated over RM500,000

installations,

in sales, mostly from commissioned projects,

creative ways to reuse trash, Biji-Biji aims to

bamboo structures, and furniture made from

outdoor installations and selling upcycled furniture.

inspire a society that is accountable for its waste

discarded

Biji-Biji has obtained corporate jobs from clients such

and leaves a minimal impact on the environment.

teaching children to find creative solutions

materials.

garden

include

for common household waste.

self-

vertical

builds

three

Workshops

include

as Hong Leong Foundation and Genovasi Malaysia.

31

32

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Case study #10: PT Foundations Community Health Care Centre


Founded in 1987, PT Foundation is a community-

of 2013. PT Foundation generates revenue

community. They include: number of calls received

based organisation in Malaysia that works with

through user fees at the health centre. Costs cover

on the counselling line, the number of men who

key affected populations on HIV and AIDS, gender

HIV screening, counselling, and referral services.

reached out to the organisation, number of HIV tests

identity and sexual health. PT Foundation provides

Through a cross-subsidisation model, patients

conducted, as well as number of clients who followed

information, advocacy, HIV prevention, care and

who can afford the full fee of testing subsidise

up on treatment. By monitoring these indicators, PT

support services.

those who cannot afford to pay.

Foundation is able to gauge the level of outreach and


the effectiveness of its programmes.

PT Foundations Community Health Care Centre

PT Foundation uses a set of service-oriented

was transformed into a social enterprise in August

indicators

to

measure

its

impact

on

the

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Chapter 3
Challenges in
developing the sector
3.1 Rigidity & lack of institutional awareness

34

3.2 Lack of legal recognition & policy structure to support

35

3.3 Negative public perception & recognition

38

3.4 Lack of access to quality human capital

39

3.5 Lack of access to sizable financial capital

40

3.6 Lack of support to grow & scale

41

33

34

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

3.1

Rigidity & lack


of institutional
awareness
The government and market regulatory agencies

as social enterprises, which may have non-profit

is all about. The lack of definition and awareness

are ill-equipped to support social enterprises and

motives but are engaged in for-profit commercial/

of this sector has made it difficult to develop its

entrepreneurs due to the lack of legal recognition as

trade activities. As such, many social enterprises in

legitimacy. Consequently, institutions such as

to what constitutes a social enterprise in Malaysia.

Malaysia are limited by the laws and statutes under

banks, foundations, and even government agencies

The lack of a unifying entity to coordinate and

which they are registered, which either prevents

are unable to help social entrepreneurs in starting or

champion social entrepreneurship in Malaysia

them from engaging in larger commercial activities

growing their organisations.

creates further unnecessary complexity.

or receiving tax and financial benefits available for


non-profits.

The existing legislation that governs how an

While social enterprises do engage in commercial


activities, they typically require a longer operating

organisation is registered in Malaysia needs to

The development of the social enterprise sector

period to break even and ultimately generate returns

be re-examined. Current legislation caters to

in Malaysia requires all parties involved, including

to their investors.

organisations that are either for-profit or non-profit.

community, private, and public sector players

It does not cater for blended organisations such

to be uniformly aware of what social enterprise

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

3.2

Lack of legal
recognition & policy
structure to support
One of the biggest hurdles any social enterprise

start a social enterprise, it does not enjoy the same

encounters is to find the right legal structure under

tax benefits and government incentives that non-

which to register and operate. The lack of a legal

profits or charitable organisations receive.

definition and recognition of social enterprise as a


distinct form of organisation in Malaysia has led to

Similarly, social enterprises that operate as a society,

many social entrepreneurs operating under a variety

charitable organisation, or non-profit, face a very

of legal forms, which are governed by different acts

real and substantial risk of legal non-compliance

and regulations.

as they engage in commercial activities to sustain


their operations and increase their impact. As such,

Many social entrepreneurs are faced with the dilemma

the lack of a suitable legal entity structure limits

of choosing an entity under which to incorporate

many social enterprises in Malaysia from properly

due to dual goals. While sole proprietorship has

operating.

been the cheapest and most convenient way to

35

36

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Case study #11:


What Malaysians want in a social
enterprise definition
The Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity

Question 1

In identifying business models as a requirement,

What are the most


important characteristics
of a social enterprise?

participants understood that social enterprises


must generate profit from selling a product or
service commercially. However, there was also
an ethical component to the financial sustainability.
Participants felt that it was necessary that this

Centre (MaGIC) held a series of roundtables

business model was socially responsible and

nationwide

aligned with the enterprises social mission. In other

and

invited

submissions

from

social organisations, academic institutions, and


private organisations to define social enterprise.

Participants agreed that social enterprises must

words, the business must generate profit with

have a core social mission that is consistent in

purpose and social impact.

Over 200 participants attended the roundtables

their activities, a business model for financial

across nine cities: Kota Kinabalu, Penang,

sustainability, and raised the issue of profit

Johor Bharu, Kuching, Kota Belud, Alor Setar,

distribution.

and Cyberjaya. Common themes across the


discussions are highlighted here.
Two main questions were asked regarding
defining social enterprise:
1.

Having a core social or environmental mission


was integral for all responses. Some university
submissions stated that this needed to be the
primary reason the social enterprise was set up. The
social enterprise must be socially driven, and their

social mission cannot be a convenient afterthought.


What in your view are the most important
The mission must be consistent in practice and
characteristics of social enterprise?

2.

How do we address organisations that fall

into the grey areas of social enterprise?

all activities such as production, sales, and hiring


should align with this mission. Participants at
the roundtables also identified passion, grit, and

Participants and respondents highlighted that


revenue must be reinvested conscientiously:
either back into the business or the respective
beneficiary communities. However, participants
were divided over the enforcement system for profit
reinvestment. Some participants highlighted the
need for an asset or dividend lock, whereas other
participants felt that this hindered innovation and
creativity.
Binary University, for example, highlighted that
profits can be returned to the owners in the form

determination for the social purpose as a common

of dividends but should be capped to prevent

characteristic in social enterprise behaviour.

excessive profiteering. Further, the university added

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

that some countries have introduced an asset lock

Question 2

so that assets cannot be distributed amongst the

How do we address
organisations that are
in grey areas of social
enterprise definition?

owners for personal gain if the enterprise dissolves.


Assets must be transferred to another asset-locked
body or non-profit organisation. This was echoed in
a British Council submission; when the profits from
selling the business are returned to shareholders, it

as well as ethics and morals. These are much more


difficult to measure but they highlight an important
element of character of the social enterprise sector.
British Council highlighted several key elements to
judge the social enterprise label:

functions as a traditional for-profit business.

An organisation charter that outlines its social


or environmental mission as well as ethics and

Across the roundtables, the concept of community


was emphasized as a critical component of social
enterprise. Roundtable participants recognised
that social enterprises must serve a community in
need. However, the exact relationship of a social
enterprise to empower or include a community was
varied. It ranged from donating to hiring from these
communities.

Roundtable

participants

identified

three

key

components of gauging whether a company could


be labelled as a social enterprise: social mission,
social impact, and financial distribution control.
First, organisations need to have a clear and
consistent

social

mission

with

identifiable

beneficiaries. Second, organisations need to create


social impact in communities. Whether this impact

There was some debate regarding staying local

should be measured by the organisations or tested

versus the ability to scale. Some participants felt

by an independent body was not decided at the

it was more responsible for social enterprises to


employ people and source supplies locally, while
others felt that this hindered an enterprises ability
to scale and replicate its model.

roundtables. Thirdly, social enterprises should


control the distribution of their profit.
There was an emphasis on intangible elements of
a social enterprise: authenticity, sincerity, passion,

impact

The implementation of an impact measurement


tool

An equity model that limits how shares are


distributed if the company is sold

Participants and respondents brought up concerns


that a definition was only relevant if an independent,
governance body existed to impose it. However,
respondents also raised concerns of the usefulness
of putting up barriers in such a nascent sector.

37

38

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

3.3

Negative public
perception &
recognition
Public perception often confuses social enterprise

donations, charitable contributions, or grants to

with the traditional social and non-profit sector. The

help them pilot or scale their ventures.

general publics perception of this sector is often


related to altruism and charity as opposed to a

Production costs are often higher for social

viable or financially rewarding career option.

enterprises due to their sustainable and inclusive


practices and sourcing of materials. Without

This misconception means that social enterprises

education, the general public does not see the value

often

charge

and may not be willing to pay for more expensive

competitive pricing, and recruit talent. In turn, many

goods and services provided by social enterprises.

struggle

to

attract

investment,

commercial and traditional investors stay away


from social enterprises. This leads to low capital

Lastly, this perception makes it difficult for social

availability for social enterprises to either pilot or

enterprises to attract top or fresh talent, especially

scale. Many social enterprises end up relying on

when competing with the private or public sectors.

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

3.4

Lack of access
to quality
human capital
Given the lack of institutional and community

and charitable in-kind contributions of professional

support available for social entrepreneurs in

service firms due to their low profit margin.

Malaysia, this sector struggles to attract and retain


quality talent. Entrepreneurship, not to mention

Without quality expertise, social enterprises lack

social entrepreneurship, is seen as a high-risk and

the capability to attract investment, scale, or

non-viable career option for youth.

attract mergers and acquisitions. This creates


a perpetuating cycle of small and limited social

Significant support is needed to channel talent


into this sector and help social enterprises set

enterprises.

Case study #12:


Capability building grants
The UK Social Impact Investment Taskforce
Report

recommends

that

impact-driven

organisations have access to grants build


capacity. This access builds the organisational
capability needed to operate in a highly
complex and large capital industry. The need
for

impact

measurement,

and

accountability

requires

transparency,
impact-driven

up, operate, and grow their business and impact.

organisations to have the ability to accurately

Available professional business and consultancy

measure, evaluate and report their results to

supports are still beyond the means of the average

meet their fiduciary duty to its shareholders

social entrepreneur, who often relies on pro-bono

and beneficiaries.

39

40

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Case study #13:


Relaxing legal barriers to
increase financial capital

3.5

The UK Social Impact Investment Taskforce

Lack of access to
sizeable financial
capital

Report calls for the review and relaxation of


current laws that prohibit non-commercial
organisations to engage in commercial activities
in order to encourage more participation in
the impact investment sector by charities,
foundations, and other organisations.

A review of existing laws is needed to ensure


that

current

organisations

with

charitable

status or benefiting from tax incentives will

Malaysia has a robust and strong financial sector.

to the embryonic nature of this sector, but also due to

continue to receive benefits even if they

Almost all Malaysian-based institutions are able to

the lack of awareness by these financial institutions

engage in commercial activities. This would

cater to both commercial/conventional and Islamic

to find social enterprises that are investment ready.

require a significant shift in the current form

banking needs of the market, from individuals and

Given the lack of financial and business incentives

small & medium enterprises to large corporations.

from the government to help create financial capital

While the government has set in place sound

wealth in this sector, many social enterprises are still

regulatory frameworks to encourage these sectors,

funded mainly through charity, foundation work and

very little is being done to unlock opportunities for

even corporate responsibility programs.

social entrepreneurs to get funding to start and


grow their social enterprise.

This may deter and inhibit the competitiveness of


social enterprises in Malaysia.

This lack of access to financial capital is not only due

of organisation governance, especially on the


fiduciary duty of its trustees and members.

The review of existing laws and regulations


promotes

asset

and

fund

management

companies, such as pension funds, to make


large investments in impact-driven companies
such as social businesses, enterprises, and
other charities with revenue generating activities.

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

3.6

Lack of
support to
grow & scale
There are numerous barriers and challenges for
social enterprises in Malaysia to start and grow their
social enterprise. The very few social enterprises
in Malaysia that have been able to scale are
currently held back due to lack of support available.
Successful social enterprises in Malaysia also tend
to financially plateau due to an inability to expand and
penetrate new markets in and outside of Malaysia.

41

42

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Chapter 4
Approach in
catalyzing the sector

4.1 Identifying the fundamental blocks to develop the sector

43

4.2 Applying the catalyst to accelerate the sector

45

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

4.1

Identifying the
fundamental
blocks to develop
the sector
The development of any sector requires the

The blocks are the thematic keystones of the

will be further catalysed by identifying key strategic

commitment and buy-in of all stakeholders in order

blueprint, and the activities within each block are

thrusts, which will rapidly develop the social

to effectively create an irreversible change and

purely focused on creating a lasting and systemic

enterprise sector through targeted investment and

momentum in the social enterprise sector. As such,

change in the sector.

relevant initiatives for social entrepreneurs.

the development of this sector should be focused


on enabling impact-driven and entrepreneurial

For this 3-yactualear blueprint, the fundamental

individuals to become highly successful social

blocks are: I) Social Entrepreneurs, II) Ecosystem,

entrepreneurs.

and III) Institutions which all play an important role


in developing the sector. Each fundamental block

43

44

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

The building blocks and challenges faced in the sector

Social Entrepreneurs

Social entrepreneurship is a new term and

Ecosystem

Institutions

The ecosystem is sporadic and

Existing institutions are unable to

awareness building and buy-in from the

disconnected and requires close

create supportive regulatory, tax, and

grassroots community is required for it to

coordination to drive policy formulation

administrative frameworks to support

be well-known

and generate social innovation

social entrepreneurs

Social entrepreneurs are highly driven

The ecosystem is isolated, with minimal

Existing institutions are unable to support

and passionate individuals, but lack the

private sector involvement to encourage

and scale up social entrepreneurs due to

business acumen needed to start, grow

collaboration, investment, and wealth

a limited procurement system to deliver

and measure their impact accurately

creation

public services

Social entrepreneurs lack the option to

The ecosystem lacks the synergies

Existing institutions lack the financial

effectively launch their social enterprise or

between traditional sector players in

structure to provide consistent guidelines

scale up their impact and footprint due to

a coordinated social-public-private

for compliance and audit of social

a lack of funding options available

partnership model

enterprises
Table 4.1: Building blocks and challenges faced in the sector

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

4.2

Applying
the catalyst
to accelerate
the sector

The development of the social enterprise sector in


Malaysia must be done at an accelerated pace in
order to capitalize on the growing momentum that
exists within the community. As such, each building
block will be accelerated by a relevant strategic
thrust that encapsulates the ethos and key activities
required to achieve the objective of a sector-wide
advancement by 2018.
The strategic thrust acts as a catalyst to the building
blocks of the development of this sector. Each
strategic thrust has specific outcomes which will
indicate sector-wide development at an accelerated
pace.

45

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Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Strategic thrusts of the building blocks

Social Entrepreneurs

Ecosystem

Institutions

2015

2016

2017

Inspire a movement

Create an
enabling ecosystem

Affect
systemic change

Generating awareness among the

Creating a more inclusive sector through

Enabling sector-wide systemic change

grassroots community while equipping

participation from the private and public

whereby regulatory, tax and administrative

them with the necessary knowledge and

sector by encouraging discussions on

frameworks are introduced to ensure that

skills to successfully launch and scale

policy development, investment, capital

the sectors development would continue

their social enterprise.

creation, and synergies

beyond the time horizon of this blueprint

Table 4.2: Strategic thrusts of the building blocks

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Three strategic thrusts to meet the challenge of creating a


thriving ecosystem for social enterprises in Malaysia...

Affect systematic changes

...realised by enabling initiatives that will culminate


in a thriving ecosystem for Malaysia

Introduce supportive regulatory, tax and administrative


framework
Advocate for public procurement to encourage more good
quality, cost-effective, and innovative public services

Institution

Define the financial structure and provide guidelines for


legal compliance and auditing

Create an enabling ecosystem

Ecosystem

Establish knowledge base to inform policy and


development, spurring social innovation
Encourage private sector involvement to increase
collaboration, strategic investment, and capital creation
Foster social-public-private partnerships to create
synergies

Social
Entrepreneurs

Inspire a movement

Create awareness and promote better understanding of


social entrepreneurship
Build the human capital of social entrepreneurs and those
who work in social enterprises
Catalyse more successful social enterprises by
helping them pilot or scale

Figure 4.1 : Three strategic thrusts for social enterprises

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Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Chapter 5
Thrust 1 :
Inspire a movement

5.1 Create awareness & promote better understanding of social entrepreneurship

49

5.2 Build the human capital of social entrepreneurs

51

5.3 Catalyse more successful social enterprises by helping them pilot or scale

53

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Case study #14: Thailand Social


Enterprise Office (TSEO)
The

Thailand

Social

Enterprise

Office

demonstrates how to effectively generate


awareness and showcase the value of social

5.1

enterprise to the larger community and public


at large. The TSEO was created to ensure

Create awareness
& promote better

a focal point for matters related to social


entrepreneurship and help formulate policies
and relevant instruments to unlock government
benefits.

understanding of social

TSEOs approach to developing the sector is

entrepreneurship

other sectors as well. The approach undertaken

based on generating social innovations that


are impactful to not only the sector, but also to
by TSEO focuses on building the capacity of
the social entrepreneur, in addition to creating
enabling infrastructure and facilities such as
co-working spaces for social enterprises.

Grassroots involvement and support is necessary to justify the investment


and allocation of resources into developing the social enterprise sector
in Malaysia. Thus, increasing public awareness is crucial to create a
movement within the critical mass and trigger the shifts required to bring
systemic change to the sector.

TSEO is currently in the process of providing


inputs for the drafting of the Act on Social
Enterprise Promotion for Thailand.

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Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Creating awareness among


passionate and driven individuals

Reaching out to underserved and


remote communities

Bridging the community divide

Creating awareness among the public is necessary

Social entrepreneurship should be inclusive to

exists in isolated pockets and is limited by geographic

to create a passionate community that will support

all communities, regardless of socio-economic

boundaries,

and demand a large-scale national movement

background. There must be an element of

and knowledge sharing between urban and rural

for social enterprise. As such, there must be a

inclusiveness and outreach, especially to those who

communities of social entrepreneurs. Bridging

coordinated effort to highlight the potential, results,

are underserved and located in remote communities.

the gap between these communities will create

and opportunities that are available for would-be

Social entrepreneurship needs to be positioned not

a platform where knowledge and opportunity is

social entrepreneurs.

only as another form of enterprise, but also as a

shared equally for the greater benefit of the sector.

solution for those who are off the grid.


Creating awareness on a community level generates
out

to

underserved

and

remote

The community of social entrepreneurs currently


leading

to

minimal

collaboration

Educating the public on the social


enterprise sector

the momentum for the larger public to learn, commit,

Reaching

and advocate for the accelerated development of

communities would not only expose them to an

The public should be educated about social

the sector.

instrument for development, but also surface

enterprises and their impact. This knowledge will

innovation that exists in these communities.

empower them to support the sector, whether


through the purchase of products or services,

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

5.2

Build the
human capital
or creating supporting instruments. A deeper
community understanding of the sector will unlock
the potential of high growth and scalable social
enterprises.

of social
entrepreneurs

Evidence base and knowledge of


the sector

The social enterprise sector in Malaysia requires

Understanding of the landscape and state of the

this sector to strengthen and mature. Significant

sector will allow a strategic investment of resources

resources must be allocated to develop necessary

where it is most needed in the sector. Once the

knowledge, capability and quality talents. Given the

awareness is there, it will become easier not only

dual objectives of a social enterprise to deliver not

to identify social enterprises but also for social

only financial returns but also positive impact to

enterprises to self-identify. A defined sector also

society and environment, active intervention must

facilitates research and development to be carried

be introduced well before an individual ventures

out.

into this sector while providing similar opportunities

significant human capital investment in order for

throughout the life journey of the social enterprise.

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Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Embedding social
entrepreneurship in the
education system

Connecting the sector with


tertiary academic institutions

Providing continuous technical


and capability opportunities

There is a skills gap between what the sector currently

As a sector in its infancy stage with rapid development

In order to build a pipeline of quality social

requires and what tertiary academic institutions

foreseen in the next few years, it is critical for social

entrepreneurs, it is recommended that social

are imparting to those seriously venturing to

entrepreneurs to be continuously developed as they

entrepreneurship is embedded in the current

become social entrepreneurs. The skills gap exists

start their social enterprise venture. As the sector

national education system for both public and

primarily due to the lack of collaboration between

matures through the legislation and introduction of

private academic institutions. Embedding social

practitioners and academics. Skills such as impact

new policies and tax/financial instruments, there is

entrepreneurship into the curriculum should begin

measurement, issue identification, and general

a need to ensure that social entrepreneurs are well

at the secondary school level in order to enable

business acumen are currently lacking, reducing the

equipped to receive changes in the sector.

tertiary institutions to provide more technical and

quality and likelihood for a social enterprise to be

in-depth capacity building for youth to venture into

investment ready.

social entrepreneurship.

Providing social entrepreneurs with the opportunity


to continuously learn and up-skill their capabilities

Connecting practitioners and academics would

would increase the likelihood of success for the

Embedding social entrepreneurship courses and

ensure that social entrepreneurs are equipped with

social enterprise to operate and rapidly scale up its

elements into the curriculum would also create a

the fundamental skills and acumen needed to run

impact footprint as well.

lasting awareness and cultural acceptance of social

a successful social enterprise, while increasing the

entrepreneurship as a viable academic and career

pipeline of social entrepreneurs who are viable for

option post-education.

investment.

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

5.3

Catalyse more
successful social
enterprises by
helping them pilot
or scale
To ensure the long-term success and continuity of

ideation to pilot, and eventually expansion stage. The

this sector, it is imperative for the social enterprise

performance of social enterprises demonstrates the

to deliver the impact and financial returns expected

viability of this sector and encourages the injection

by the market. The success of the social enterprise

of more financial and human capital to sustain it.

must be based purely on its ability and prospect to


deliver results. Institutional players should provide
support in terms of opportunities and in-kind benefits
in order for social enterprises to progress from

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Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Creating a safe environment


to venture into social
entrepreneurship

Developing an advocacy mindset


among all institutional players

Demonstrating overall viability for


further investment

Venturing into social entrepreneurship is a highly

There must be a significant shift in the mindset of those

The long-term success and continuity of the social

risky move for any individual, requiring not only

involved in the social enterprise sector in Malaysia.

enterprise sector lies in its ability to demonstrate

extensive capital but personal support for the social

Major institutions such as government agencies,

positive results in both impact and financial returns.

entrepreneur as well. Subsequently, there is a need

private sector companies, and even intermediaries

Therefore it is important for social enterprises to

to create a safe environment where interested

must take an advocacy role rather than a passive-

receive strategic investment based on their ability

individuals are able to test out their social enterprise

observer role in this sector. Institutions have to clear

to meet both criteria. This affirms social enterprises

idea through a controlled pilot or simulation. This

a path for social entrepreneurs to be successful by

ability to create impact and self-sustain, further

enables the individual to determine the projects

unlocking resources and opportunities which are

demonstrating the very real potential of this sector.

overall viability before going full-scale and making

not typically made available to them.

the career transition.

Demonstrating the overall viability of the social


Developing an advocacy mindset among all

enterprise based on its performance in the market

Creating a safe environment would enable more

institutional players would ensure more resources -

will attract more interest and participation from

interested individuals to evaluate and decide whether

whether it be financial or in-kind - to be unlocked

the traditional sectors, and inject more capital and

or not to assume the risk of venturing into social

for social entrepreneurs, allowing them to rapidly

talent into this emerging sector.

entrepreneurship full-time, while simultaneously

progress their social enterprise from pilot to growth.

increasing the likelihood of creating successful


social entrepreneurs.

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Chapter 6
Thrust 2 :
Create an enabling environment
6.1 Establish a knowledge base to inform policy & development to

spur social innovation

56

6.2 Encourage private sector involvement to increase collaboration,



strategic investment & capital creation

58

6.3 Foster social-public-private partnerships to create synergies

60

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Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

6.1

Establish a

Case study #15:


Spurring social innovation

knowledge base

National Endowment for Science Technology

to inform policy &

focuses on increasing the innovation capacity

development to spur

and the Arts (NESTA) is an organisation that


in the United Kingdom (UK) through programs,
investments, policies, research, and strategic
cross sector partnerships.

social innovation

One of its initial projects include Bethnal Green

Creating an enabling environment requires much more than just the

UKs Cabinet Office Social Incubator Fund.

injection of human and financial capital into the sector. It also requires a

Bethnal Green Ventures is an accelerator

common platform for all stakeholders to discuss and debate the merits of

program that aims to bring technology-based

what is needed to create larger institutional change for social innovation

solutions to solve the worlds most pressing

in Malaysia. By creating a common platform and wider participation in


the development of relevant policies, a more participative and equitable
approach to the development of this sector is ensured.

Ventures, in which NESTA co-invested with the

social problems.
Source: http://www.nesta.org.uk/our-projects/
success-stories/Bethnal-Green-Ventures

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Creating a platform for open


discussion

Driving policy development and


instruments for implementation

Establishing a knowledge base

A common platform for discussion is necessary for

The development of this sector should not be made

wealth of knowledge created in the form of new

the development of this sector from a larger national

in isolation from other sectors. Social entrepreneurs

advancements in technology and social innovation.

perspective. While the sector itself should be led by

must drive the discussion about the development

As such, there is a need to create a knowledge

the community of social entrepreneurs, it should

of this sector by showcasing real results, which will

base where research and development activities will

also be mindful and inclusive of other institutional

create the case for larger involvement and advocacy

be commissioned to grow the sector strategically

players from the private and public sectors. This

from other sector players. Social entrepreneurs

through the application of specific instruments

common platform needs to gather and create a

need to drive matters related to policy development

such as capital injection, grant allocation, and even

knowledge base that drives social innovation, the

and instruments in order to create cross-sector

legislation.

main output of this sector.

support between the social enterprise sector and


other sectors in Malaysia.

Creating a platform for open discussion and a

The development of this sector will rely on the

Further, practitioners, academics, and other sector


players can collaborate together on the knowledge

knowledge base would ultimately identify any

Driving policy development and instruments for

base. This collaboration from stakeholders across

hidden or underutilised resource that could be

implementation are necessary to steer the sector

multiple sectors ensures that strategic investments

used to rapidly develop the sector and spur social

to generate social innovations that are replicable,

could be made in order to spur more social

innovation.

scalable and, most importantly, solve a legitimate

innovation and breakthrough.

issue faced by beneficiaries.

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Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

6.2

Encourage private sector

Creating opportunities for private


sector to be involved
The early-stage development of any sector is

involvement to increase

typically led by the state or its relevant agencies, and

collaboration, strategic

it is intended for. However private sector players,

investment & capital creation

involved in the early stages to comprehensively

is supported by the grassroots communities that


particularly those in the financial sector, must be
understand the trends and direction of this sector.
Further this will enable them to identify what

The longevity of any sector is based on its ability

institutional changes are required for them to make

to sustain itself independent from the state or

significant investment and commitment to this

governing agencies. To ensure the viability of this

social enterprise sector.

sector in the long term, it is necessary for the private


sector to play a prominent role.

To achieve this the government will need to


disclose information and data as to how effective
it is in delivering public services and goods to its
citizens. This gives social enterprises a foundation
to determine how best to solve this issue through

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

facts and information. Similarly, government needs


to devise an instrument where social enterprises are

Incentivizing the private sector to


commit and participate

rewarded for reducing costs and improving quality

Private sector players are restricted by the level

of public service delivery.

of commitment of their shareholders. While more


companies are being more responsible and ethical

Similarly the government should also encourage

in their practice, there must be significant incentive

more participation across all sectors through a more

for the private sector to be involved and actively

collective and inclusive movement, which could be

contribute to social enterprises. Targeted incentives

modeled after the collective impact or shared value

are specifically devised at each stage of the sectors

movement that is happening globally.

development to ensure continuous buy-in and


commitment from the private sector.

Creating opportunities for the private sector would


enable the social enterprise sector to be developed

This is where the government and regulatory

in a more coordinated manner while also ensuring

agencies play a major role in crafting incentives

that resources such as financial and in-kind

such as tax and other business benefits that would

capabilities are made available.

enable the private sector to commit resources and


investment to develop this sector. The role of the
government in this instance would be to absorb the
initial investment risk while slowly transferring the

risk back to the market through instruments such as


match funding or even seed funding.
Incentivizing the private sector requires close
coordination and strong governance to ensure that
the incentives being introduced are fair for all parties
involved. By creating the right incentive instruments,
private sectors will be able to inject more financial
and human capital required for the social enterprise
to tap into.

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Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

6.3

Foster social-public-

Identifying opportunities
within existing public-private
partnerships

private partnerships

Current public-private partnerships are purely based

to create synergies

the government in the delivery of public services.

on the notion that the private sector is able to help


However, current government procurement systems
and guidelines do not favour social enterprises who

Public-private partnerships in Malaysia have been

are typically much smaller, in terms of both financial

shown to improve public service delivery while

and working capital available. Therefore current

reducing operational cost for the government and

public-private partnerships must be evaluated in

its agencies. Given the increasing demand for a

order to identify the potential areas in which social

customer-centric public service delivery, there is an

enterprises could partner with government.

opportunity for social enterprises to play a major


role in delivering public services on behalf of the

Identifying opportunities within existing public-

government in a more efficient and effective way.

private partnerships would instantly create a

Opportunities must be identified and dedicated

market for social enterprises to compete in, while

for social enterprises in order to create market

simultaneously creating an opportunity for the

demand.

social enterprise sector to be injected with financial

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

capital.

Creating dedicated domains for


social enterprise

United Kingdom. There, social enterprises are


incentivised to participate through the creation of
special endowments or access to social impact
bonds offered by the government and local
municipalities. The incentive of the social impact

The next step in the social-public-private partnership

bond must be financially viable for investors and,

is to carve out a specific niche within the market

most importantly, be effective in addressing the

for social enterprises to meet. The creation of a

issue. Here, the role of the government is to create

dedicated domain or preference for social enterprise

a preference and performance measure to ensure

would be useful in order to create a marketplace that

the partnership meets both impact and financial

is predictable, and will generate a reliable source

objectives.

of revenue for the social enterprise. The dedicated


domain and preference however should be based

Creating a dedicated domain and preference for

on the ability of the social enterprise to bring public

social enterprise would ensure the delivery of public

services or goods to a community that is either

services and goods while simultaneously injecting

underserved or completely isolated.

significant cash flow into the sector through


the commercial partnership between the social

Instruments such as the social impact bond have


proven to be effective in countries such as the

enterprise and the private and public sector.

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Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Chapter 7
Thrust 3 :
Affect systemic change
7.1 Introduce supportive regulatory, tax, & administrative frameworks

63

7.2 Advocate for public procurement to encourage more good quality,

65

cost-effective & innovative public services

7.3 Define the financial structure & provide guidelines for legal & audit

66

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

7.1

Case study #16: Regulating an


impact-driven sector
The Community Interest Company (CIC) was
created in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2005

Introduce
supportive regulatory,
tax & administrative
frameworks

under the Companies Act 2004. The legislation


and passing of this law facilitates the process
of starting and operating a social enterprise in
the UK.
Additionally the Office of the Regulator of CICs
was also established to help individuals start
their social enterprise, as well as to regulate
the sector by investigating complaints from
the public. Similarly, the Office of the Regulator
acts as a focal point for all matters pertaining

The previous two thrusts describe the ongoing effort that is required to

to regulatory changes in the sector through the


announcement of dividend caps, incentives,

create the critical mass of successful social entrepreneurs and enterprises

and even new forms for the registration of

in a strong and robust community. However, in order to fully develop this

a new social enterprise. As of 2014 nearly

sector, a more systemic change is required to ensure that developments

10,000 Community Interest Companies have

are irreversible and the sector continues on a growth path that continually

been incorporated and there are currently over

improves the state of Malaysian social enterprises. Hence, there is a need

180,000 social enterprises in the UK.

to create systemic change through legislation involving the regulation,


taxation and administration of this sector.

Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/
organisations/office-of-the-regulator-ofcommunity-interest-companies/about

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Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Identifying key legislative changes


to support social entrepreneurs

Defining regulatory and taxation


regime for social enterprise

Many legislative changes are needed to fully support

There is a need to define a regulatory and taxation

this sector, mainly in regards to acts that govern the

regime for the social enterprise sector here in

registration of a legal entity in Malaysia. Currently

Malaysia. Given the complexity and dual missions of

legislations related to the registration of a legal

social enterprises (having a social or environmental

entity do not fit the definition of a social enterprise.

purpose through commercial means), there must be

As such, the current legislation landscape is not

a mechanism to properly govern and regulate this

conducive to the progression of this sector.

sector in a way that is conducive for individuals to


become social entrepreneurs and for private sectors

The development of this sector must include

to invest in social enterprises.

legislative changes regarding how a legal entity is


recognised. This needs to be followed by a coherent

Defining a regulatory framework and subsequently,

set of policy instruments that will augment the

taxation regime will ensure the sector continues to

operation of different regulatory agencies such as

serve its purpose of solving legitimate issues for its

the securities commission, registrar of companies,

intended beneficiaries while reducing likelihood for

and societies.

exploitation.

Identifying key legislative changes would ensure a


specific form of legal entity that fits the definition of
social enterprise and would facilitate the process of
starting and easily operating a social enterprise.

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

7.2

Advocate
for public
procurement
to encourage
better quality,
cost-effective &
innovative public
services

While many governments have ventured into including social enterprises in its public procurement process,
there are still fundamental changes that need to happen in order for social enterprise to competitively
deliver public services or goods. Current public procurement processes and criteria must be re-evaluated
and considered in order to identify what type of government procurement would be most logical and
beneficial for social enterprise to participate in.

Expanding current public


procurement to include social
enterprises
While

current

public

procurement

has

Setting up performance and


service-level targets
Government must set up realistic and specific
been

performance and service-level targets for social

progressing with the introduction of public-private

enterprise to fulfil. As such, current procurement

partnerships, there is still space and opportunity

criteria and eligibility rules must be re-examined

for social enterprises to compete. Given that social

in order to ensure social enterprises are not

enterprises are relatively and typically smaller,

automatically disqualified for legacy rules and

the government must be able to expand public

criteria.

procurement to include social enterprises in areas


where social enterprise could be a viable provider.

Performance and service-level targets must be set

Expanding current public procurements to include

specific to the nature of the goods and services

social enterprise must be strategic and targeted,

being procured from the social enterprise. These

which consider a clear valuation and categorization.

targets ensure that social enterprises are qualified


to be awarded with public procurement contracts.

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Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

7.3

Define the
financial
structure
& provide
guidelines for
legal & audit
To ensure that the social enterprise sector

Developing a financial structure


for social enterprise
A

standardised

financial

structure

must

Adopting and creating standards


for legal compliance
be

Given the commercial and trade elements of

introduced and adopted in order to properly regulate

a social enterprise, it is recommended that a

the social enterprise sector. Given the large amount

standardised framework is developed and adopted.

of investment that will be created through different

Such a framework ensures that a social enterprise

entities such as government, financial institutions,

meets its primary objective of delivering impact and

foundations and trust organisations, there is a need

generating revenues through commercial or trade

to clarity how to measure and evaluate the impact

activities.

that the social enterprise aims to deliver.


Adopting and creating standards for legal and audit
A standardised framework to measure and assess a

compliance would attract the injection of more

social enterprises impact and financial performance

capital in the sector as a form of investment from

creates the trust and confidence that will attract

other sectors.

more investment and capital into this sector.

continues to grow in Malaysia, there must be


a coherent structure to govern the sector from

Developing a financial structure for social enterprise

a legal and compliance perspective. Social

would create a consistent framework for regulatory

enterprises work on legitimate issues where

bodies to measure and evaluate a social enterprise

the beneficiaries are very much dependent on

based on specific guidelines and specifications.

solutions through enterprising means. However,


there must also be safeguard mechanisms for
the market to regulate, free from exploitation.

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Chapter 8
Expected outcomes
8.1 A robust community & movement of social entrepreneurs

68

8.2 A thriving environment for successful social entrepreneurs

69

8.3 A resilient sector which is equitable & driven by the social entrepreneurs

69

8.4 Beyond the blueprint

70

67

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Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

8.1

A robust
community
& movement
of social
entrepreneurs

One of the expected outcomes of this blueprint

This blueprint also aims to create a community

is to create a robust community and a movement

of social entrepreneurs who have, by design, the

of social entrepreneurs that are connected and

mindset and culture of continuous improvement.

integrated across Malaysia by 2018. Having gone

Empowered intermediaries and other entities will

through the entire phase of starting, operating,

provide the social enterprise community with the

and growing a social enterprise, this community of

opportunity to acquire the skills and capabilities

social entrepreneurs are the very people who will

required to improve their social enterprise, making it

lead, inspire, and set the momentum and direction

investment-ready for either piloting or scaling.

of the sector.

201
2016
2015

Thrust 1 : Inspire a
movement

Thrust 2 : Create an
enabling environment

Thrust 3 : Effect
systematic changes

Regional
leadership

Figure 8.1 : Three thrusts for


growing the social enterprise
sector

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

8.2

A thriving
environment
for successful
social
entrepreneurs

The creation of a robust community and movement

Moreover, creating a connected sector for social

of social entrepreneurs must be complemented

entrepreneurs also creates the platform for systems

with a supportive network that encourages natural

change in the sector. A connected sector facilitates

partnerships to arise between social entrepreneurs

the discussion and action on policy development

and other relevant entities. This means that different

and legal legislation needed to fully utilize the

stakeholders and sector players be it non-profit,

potential of this sector

for-profit, or government are collaborating in a


way that would encourage more social innovation
to be produced in Malaysia.

8.3

The end-state of this blueprint is to create a resilient

However, to create a sector with embedded

social enterprise sector where the stakeholders

market resilience requires the implementation of

involved understand how advancing the sector is

several institutional and fundamental changes. This

mutually beneficial, hence taking accountability

blueprint calls for the introduction of regulatory,

for advancing the sector. This blueprint also calls

taxation, and administrative frameworks to drive the

for social entrepreneurs to lead the sector and

advancement of this sector. More regulatory, policy,

accelerate it in terms of both impact and business

and legislation frameworks better enable advocacy

returns, with clear guidance as to how this sector

of public procurement in the delivery of public

should be governed and regulated through a

services to be open for social entrepreneurs.

consistent legal and audit framework.

A resilient
sector which
is equitable
& driven by
the social
entrepreneurs

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Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

8.4

Beyond
the blueprint

While the blueprint focuses on a three-year time


horizon, what happens beyond 2018 still remains
a question. While some countries prefer to have a
more national focus such as South Korea, Thailand
and Vietnam, there is a precedent in regards to a
country that has taken social enterprise to a regional
focus which is the United Kingdom through its
presidency of the G8.
The question will continue to be at the forefront
of those involved in this sector. While social
entrepreneurship does have the immense potential
to effect systemic change in Malaysia, there is a
larger ASEAN population of 600,000,000 that could
also benefit from a strong regional champion of
social entrepreneurship.

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

71

Chapter 9
Conclusion
9.1 A challenging prospect to realise the full potential of the sector

72

9.2 Creating an equitable economic & social model for all

73

9.3 Getting involved, a call to action

73

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Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

9.1

A challenging
prospect to
realise the full
potential of the
sector

The development of the social enterprise sector

themselves.

in Malaysia is a challenging and daunting task


that requires complete buy-in and commitment

While this blueprint calls for a sector that is very

from all parties involved, ranging from grassroots

much focused on enabling the social entrepreneur,

communities to industry leaders and influencers.

it must also be inclusive and beneficial for other


sector players in the non-profit, for-profit and

Social entrepreneurship in Malaysia is in its

government sectors alike. The advancement of the

embryonic stage of development. The actual

social enterprise sector must be fair and equitable,

landscape itself is blurry, with many players still

where the environment is conducive for impact-

hidden from our reach and coverage. As such, this

driven and entrepreneurial individuals to succeed

sectors advancement would require all stakeholders

and compete.

to be agile and adaptive to its changing needs, and


primarily the needs of the social entrepreneurs

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

9.2

Creating an
equitable
economic &
social model
for all

As the development of the social enterprise sector

The social enterprise sector should be a truly

must be equitable and fair, so must the responsibility

competitive and fair sector where the success of the

and accountability of developing this sector. There

social enterprise occur as a result of its own efforts

must be recognition that the advancement of this

and ability to solve social and environmental issues

sector is contingent on a collaborative effort between

through enterprising means. This sector should not

each ministry, agency and private sector entity, each

be exclusively dominated by any single entity, but

of whom playing a significant contributing role.

instead coordinated and supported by the different


stakeholders in different capacities.

While this blueprint is by no means a definitive and


rigid way of advancing this sector, we do encourage
those involved and interested to participate in any
way possible. While the blueprint is the commitment
of the government to spur the development of this
sector, it is also an opportunity for all to make a
contribution moving forward.

For more information visit: www.se.mymagic.my

9.3

Getting
involved, a
call to action

73

74

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

References
Jose Ernesto Amoros, Niels Bosma, (2013), Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2013
Global Report

Financial Times Limited (2014), Investing for Global Impact, London


Global Impact Investing Network & J.P. Morgan (2014), Spotlight on the Market

Eric Bidet, (2011), Social Enterprise in South Korea: History and Diversity, Emerald
Group Publishing Limited

Performance Management & Delivery Unit (PEMANDU) (2011), Improving Rural


Development

Jacques Defourney and Yu-Yuan Kuan, (2011), Emerging models of social enterprise
in Eastern Asia: a cross-country analysis, Social Enterprise Journal

Heerad Sabeti, (2011), The For-Benefit Enterprise, Harvard Business Review

Khazanah Research Institute 2014, The State of Households, Kuala Lumpur

Social Impact Investment Taskforce, (2014), Impact Investment: The Invisible Heart
of Markets, UKs Presidency of The G8

Nguyen Dinh Cung, Luu Minh Duc, Pham Kieu Oanh, Tran Thi Hong Gam, (2012),
Social Enterprise in Vietnam, British Council

Andrew M. Wolk, (2007), Social Entrepreneurship and Government: A New Breed of


Entrepreneurs Developing Solutions to Social Problems, Root Cause

Index of Tables and Figures

Index of Case Studies

Table 1.1

Factors favouring the shift towards social enterprise

10

1 Embrace

12

Table 1.2

Emerging imperatives across sectors

14

United Kingdom G8 Social Investment Task Force

18

Table 1.3

Characteristics of social enterprise

20

Peterborough Social Impact Bond

25

Table 2.1

NKRAs supporting social enterprise growth

27

Thailands Social Enterprise Sector

26

Table 4.1

Building blocks and challenges faced in the sector

44

5 Tonibung

28

Table 4.2

Strategic thrusts of the building blocks

46

ARUS Academy

28

TRY Mabul

29

EPIC Homes

30

Figure 1.1

Social enterprise Venn diagram

16

Figure 1.2

Hybrid spectrum

19

9 Biji-Biji

31

Figure 1.3

Average annual financial returns

22

10

PT Foundations Community Health Care Centre

32

Figure 4.1

Three strategic thrusts for social enterprises

47

11

What Malaysians want in a social enterprise definition

36

Figure 8.1

Three thrusts for growing the social enterprise sector

68

12

Capability building grants

39

13

Relaxing legal barriers to increase financial aid

40

14

Thailand Social Enterprise Office (TSEO)

49

15

Spurring social innovation

56

16

Regulating an impact-driven sector

63

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Appendix I Existing definitions for social enterprise


While there are a variety of definitions of social

has been created by someone who has applied

seek to expand the financing available to blended

enterprise, most definitions fall into two schools of

entrepreneurial approaches to the social sector.

enterprises and also offer credible commitments to

thought:

The social entrepreneur has found innovative, new

enforce such enterprises dual missions.

ways of addressing social problems or meeting


Social enterprise as an organisational model

social needs. This concept of social enterprise does

In the United Kingdom alone, the social enterprise

In this school of thought, social enterprises are

not necessarily require that the social enterprise

sector employs more than two million people,

organisations that focus on both economic and

have a commercial business model. This idea of

including half a million sole traders. Social

social value creation, often with a trade-off between

social enterprise has been adopted several global

enterprises represent 15% of SME employers.

the two. This may include non-profit organisations

foundations celebrating social entrepreneurs, such

Further, social enterprises are estimated to have

that set up income-generating business units

as Ashoka, The Skoll Foundation, and the Schwab

total annual incomes of 163 billion a year and

or business ventures that employ people from

Foundation.

contribute 55 billion to the economy in Gross

marginalised communities. This idea of social

Value Added in the UK.

enterprise is at the base of social enterprise policy

Social Enterprise Policy Frameworks Globally

in countries such as South Korea, the US, and the

A variety of legal frameworks exist for enterprises

In the next two pages we have outlined the ways that

UK. It is also the social enterprise concept used by

that blend elements of the non-profit and for-profit

these frameworks seek to regulate an enterprises

large global investors in social enterprises such as

categories. Three prominent examples of these

social mission, tax treatment, and financing.

Acumen Fund and LGT Venture Philanthropy.

hybrid forms of organisation include the low-profit


limited liability company (L3C) in the USA, the

Social

enterprise

as

the

initiative

of

Community Interest Company (CIC) in the UK,

changemaker. In this school of thought, the

and the privately-regulated Benefit Corporation

focus is on the social entrepreneur as a social

(commonly referred to as B-Corp) in the USA. What

innovator. A social enterprise is an organisation that

is common amongst these hybrid forms is that they

75

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Community Interest Companies (UK)

SOCIAL MISSION

TAX & LEGAL


TREATMENT

The Community Interest Test requires that a


reasonable person might consider [the CICs]

Low-Profit Limited Liability Company (USA)


activities are being carried on for the benefit of the


community.

The CIC must report its community interest

provides will not be confined to an unduly restricted

achievements to the Regulator annually, and in this


report, it must confirm that access to the benefits it

group.

must

significantly

further

the

Based on the CIC framework

No special tax benefits

Can accept program related investments (PRIs)

Can accept equity investment money and issue

equity

Asset lock: limits the distribution of assets to

accomplishment of one or more charitable or


educational purposes

The company would not have been formed but for

the companys relationship to the accomplishment


of those purposes
Neither

income

production

nor

property

appreciation may be a significant purpose of an


the L3Cs formative documents.

carried on for the benefit of the community

Prohibited from being a charity

L3C

L3C, and some statutes require this to be stated in

Required that the activities of the company are

No special tax benefits

An

Community Contribution Company (Canada)

Offers some tax benefits over a standard for-profit

Can avoid entity-level federal income tax liability

form

entirely due to its pass-through treatment (in

which the partners are taxed individually, but the


partnership is not directly taxed).

FINANCING STRATEGIES

76

Can accept equity investment money and issue

Asset lock: legal promise stating that the

shares

companys assets will only be used for its social

from private foundations in the form of loans or

objectives

directors, members, or equity holders; all assets


perpetually devoted to community benefit.

Dividend cap: can pay shareholder dividends


limited to 35% of annual profits

shares

shareholders to a maximum of 40%, with the


remainder distributed to charitable organisations

On dissolution, assets may not be paid out to

must go to another entity whose assets are


and/or other asset-locked entities

Dividend cap: can pay shareholder dividends


limited to 40% of annual profits

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Benefit Corporation (International)


Mission lock: must thrive to increase both social

value and shareholder value. The purpose of

Social enterprise (South Korea)


the organisation can only be changed with a


Decisions must be made taking all key stakeholders


into account

Must commit to use the power of business to solve

social and environmental problems.


No special tax benefits

30% of employment should be the disadvantaged

or 30% of the business should be providing a social


service

The organisation may take on multiple types of


incorporation, such as NGO or for-profit organisation

Reduced taxes

Incorporated as a traditional corporation

The organisation should spend of profits on the

to attract and accept PRI (program-related

Profits must cover at least 30% of labour costs

A B-corporation may be in a better position


investment) money

or other operations which do not adversely affect

communities

The organisation must undertake a manufacture


health, society and environment in the long-term

with social services or jobs or contributing to local

Specific requirements in purpose, accountability,


benefit report

a social objective, such as raising local residents

quality of life, etc., by providing vulnerable groups

supermajority vote of shareholders

and transparency must be met, including the annual

The organisations main purpose should be to realise

Social enterprise (Thailand)

social objective

The organisation may take on multiple types


of incorporation, such as NGO or for-profit
organisation

Does not currently enjoy tax benefits but


feasibility is being examined

Does not enjoy specific benefits

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Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Social Enterprise Policy Frameworks in Asia

South Korea

Can take the form of a corporation or an

enterprises through incubation institutions and

association under the Civil Law, a company

support programs. The regulatory environment also

under the Commercial Act or a non-profit private

encourages enterprises to participate.

organisation;

South Korea is the only country in East Asia to legally

It should employ paid workers and conduct

Singapore

enacted the Social Enterprise Promotion Act (SEPA)

business activities, such as the production and

In Singapore, no specific legislation regarding social

2006. As of November 2014, there are 1,165 certified

sale of goods and services;

enterprises has been enacted, nor has an explicit

It should have a decision-making structure

definition for social enterprises been provided. Based

aims to promote more than 3,000 certified social

in which interested persons, such as service

on the operation model, Singapore classifies social

enterprises by 2017.

beneficiaries and workers, etc., can participate;

enterprises as Work Integration Social Enterprises

Where it has distributable profits for each fiscal

(WISE),

Article 2 of the Law on the Promotion of Social

year, it should spend at least 2/3 of the profits for

services models, and social needs models. There is

Enterprises describes the legal concept of a social

social objectives (applicable only to a company

no legal entity that is a hybrid between a traditional

enterprise as the following:

under the Commercial Law);

non-profit and traditional for-profit.

define a social enterprise. In 2006, the government

social enterprises in South Korea. The government

plough-back-profit

models,

subsidized

A company which reinvests profits in the

South Korea has also implemented a dedicated

Rather, the majority of charities and non-profit

business or the local community putting priority

unit, called the Social Enterprise Division, under

organisations in Singapore are established in the

on pursuing social purposes rather than on

the Ministry of Employment and Labor, as well as

form of a company limited by guarantee (CLG),

maximizing profits for shareholders or owner of

the Korea Social Enterprise Promotion Agency

meaning that the liability of its members is limited

the company.

(KoSEA), which is responsible for implementing

by its constitutional documents to such amount as

Its main purpose should be to realise a social

and promoting social enterprise policies such as

the members undertake to guarantee. While a CLG

objective, such as raising local residents quality

business incubation, business unit certification,

can accept donations and grants, it is unable to

of life, etc., by providing vulnerable groups with

business monitoring, consultation services and

receive funding in the form of equity as it does not

social services or jobs or contributing to local

networking. The government takes the lead in

have share capital. A CLG may be registered and

communities.

fostering the step-by-step development of social

regulated as an approved charity in order to enjoy

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

full income tax exemption on income and receipts.

which do not adversely affect health, society


and environment in the long-term;

Under the Ministry of Social and Family Development,

2. Apply a doctrine of self-sufficiency;

the government has created the ComCare Enterprise

3. Have the potential to have its own financial

Fund (CEF) to help newly established social

stability;

enterprises survive and grow during their first two

4. Accumulate revenue principally from businesses

years of existence. It aims to provide seed funding

or operations carried out to further a purpose of

for sustainable new and existing social enterprises

addressing problems and develop communities,

that train and employ disadvantaged populations

societies or environments, or returning benefits

in Singapore. The government provides financial

societies;

assistance to newly created social enterprises from


the perspective of investment.

Thailand

5. Possess the capacity to be in a variety of


organisational forms;
6. Exercise good governance

In Thailand, the Regulation for National Promotion

In 2011, the government formed the Thai Social

of Social Enterprises provides the definition of a

Enterprise Office (TSEO). As well as working with

social enterprise as a business that has the explicit

the stock exchange, the TSEO is looking into tax

purpose of addressing problems and developing a

incentives for investors and social enterprises

community, society, or environment, and generating

themselves, as well as working on common social

revenue by selling goods or providing services not

impact measurement standards.

with the primary object of maximizing profit for its


shareholders or owners.
It must possess the following specific attributes:
1. Undertake a manufacture or other operations

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Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Appendix II Working definition for social enterprise in Malaysia


In developing a social enterprise definition for

Goal 4 The social enterprise definition should

Social agendas include, but are not limited

Malaysia, we set out four key goals:

be applicable to different types of legal entities,

to, activities aimed at the improvement of:

including Sdn Bhd, associations, or companies

1. Material living conditions for the bottom

Goal 1 The definition is designed to support the

limited by guarantee. Malaysian social enterprises

development of enterprises that might not naturally

have incorporated in all these forms.

2. Health;

flourish in the market economy. As a result, it should

3. Education;

benefit organisations whose primary mission is

Definition

social.

Any

Goal 2 The definition must be sufficiently specific to

40% income bracket;

4. Productive and valued activities for


be

bottom 40% income bracket;

considered a social enterprise if it satisfies all of the

5. Governance and basic rights;

following requirements:

6. Leisure and social interactions

legally

registered

organisation

shall

provide policymakers, investors, and grantmakers

(inclusion of other members in society);

the confidence that when they support a social

1. The primary mission of the organisation is to

7. Natural and living environment;

enterprise, they are supporting a bona fide purpose-

address any of the social agendas listed below.

8. Economic and physical safety;

driven organisation. It should be able to provide

The organisation takes all reasonable effort to

9. Children;

answers to classify a wide variety of organisations,

execute the mission;

10. Culture;

whose social purpose is ambiguous. The definition


should also be difficult for profit-driven organisations
to abuse.

2. The organisation is designed to use a commercial


business model to sustain itself;
3. The majority of its profit is reinvested into
carrying out its social mission;

Goal 3 The definition must be sufficiently open to

4. The organisation fulfils its social agenda in a

allow social entrepreneurs to innovate and adopt a

way that is both distinct and socially meaningful

wide variety of business models and approaches to

from any other traditional commercial enterprise,

addressing social challenges.

especially in operations and management

11. Disability;
12. Unity and discrimination;
13. Older persons;
14. Poverty;
15. Water and sanitation; and
16. Participation of women and youth
in the workforce.

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

A social enterprise is not considered to fulfil a social

3. Organisations that operate exactly like other

agenda if its activities are limited to:

profit-maximising

not

To help understand how this definition applies

1. benefiting only the members of a particular body

considered social enterprises, regardless of

to different types of organisations, we have put

their stated mission. The requirement that a

together a series of fictional companies and tested

social enterprise fulfils its social agenda in a

them against the definition in the next page.

or the employees of a particular employer; or


2. political campaigning and activities intended to
support political campaigning.

organisations

are

Social Enterprise or Not?

way that is both distinct and socially meaningful


from any other traditional commercial enterprise
means that social organisations have to do

Implications

things that traditional, profit-maximising do not.

The definition has a few noteworthy features:


1. Pre-revenue

startups

can

be

Many businesses already solve real problems


social

enterprises. The definition does not require


that an organisations business model sustain
its activities. Instead, the definition requires that
social organisations be designed to be selfsustaining. This means that the business model
should plausibly sustain the organisations
activities.
2. Social enterprises are not designed to rely
on volunteering, grants, or donations to stay
afloat in the long-term. While the second
criterion allows for these forms of support to be
used to start a social enterprise, it is expected
to sustain itself with a commercial business
model in the long run.

and have a social impact through the course of


their normal business. A social enterprise must
go above and beyond a traditional, profit-driven
entity in creating social impact. This is referred
to as the concept of additionality. A social
enterprise might have significant differences in
operations that reduce profits but create more
benefits to the underprivileged. It may also
include activities that help change a market for
social benefit. An organisation that simply fulfils
existing market demand for a product or service
-- even if its a socially-oriented product or
service -- is not considered a social enterprise.

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82

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Organisation

Is it a social enterprise?

Northern Bank Berhad is a large financial services group. In its portfolio

Northern Bank does not meet criteria 1 and 3 of the definition. The primary

of social initiatives, the bank has a large CSR department where it funds

mission of the bank is to generate profits. It also does not invest the majority

generously initiatives to build creativity in education.

of its profits into its social mission.

GoTent produces tents for UNHCR and other organisations that help

GoTent does not meet criteria 4 of the definition. GoTent simply fulfils

provide emergency housing for refugees. To date, the company has not

commercial demand for tents from social organisations like UNHCR.

issued any profits or dividends to shareholders so all profits have been

Providing a product or a service to a buyer in the social sector is not sufficient

reinvested into the company.

to becoming a social enterprise. If, for example, GoTent redesigned tents


for extreme affordability to sell tents to social organisations at prices that
traditional for-profit tent makers would not, GoTent could be considered a
social enterprise.

NGOConsult is a consulting firm that serves nonprofits and social

NGOConsult is a variation of GoTent. Much like GoTent, NGOConsult fulfils

enterprises exclusively. In addition to strategy consulting, NGOConsult

an existing market demand from international agencies and foundations to

provides training to social organisations. The trainings are free to social

provide training to NGOs. As a result, NGOConsult does not meet criteria 4.

enterprises and paid for by international agencies and foundations.


HelloFood is a food delivery app. The app allows you to order healthy

HelloFood does not meet criteria 4. A number of other food delivery apps

food, which is delivered by a network of independent delivery bikes. The

already exist in the market. HelloFoods social mission is being accomplished

company claims it has increased the revenue for independent delivery

in an identical way by existing profit-driven enterprises.

riders, a low-income group. It also says it has reduced the exposure of


people to safety risks like robberies and thefts when getting food late at
night. HelloFood has reinvested all profits back into the company to date.

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Appendix III Malaysian social enterprise ecosystem


The Big Picture

backgrounds, the majority stated that they wanted

The Ecosystem

In Malaysia, social enterprise is a young but rapidly

to work on something that was impactful to society.

In order to flourish, social enterprises require access


to a range of support from government, academics,

growing sector. Over 100 social enterprises exist


in Malaysia. More than 75% of Malaysian social

The typical Malaysian social enterprise has a

civil society, impact investors, incubators, network

enterprises were founded in the last five years.

team of four full-time paid staff and six regular

platforms, angel investors, consultants, market

volunteers. For each full-time paid staff member in

access facilitators, and others. Innovation does

According to the national survey, 19% of social

a social enterprise, the organisation has two regular

not exist in isolation, but comes about when

enterprises are involved in community development

volunteers.

different kinds of stakeholders come together share


knowledge, learn from each other and interact.

& integration, 15% are involved in the environment


and sustainability, 14% in economic access and

The typical social enterprise also has yet to

Villgro Innovations Foundation and Okapi Research

poverty alleviation, 11% in education, and 10% in

break even. Over two thirds of social enterprises

outlined the elements of a healthy social enterprise

healthcare.

have not yet broken even. Among those social

ecosystem as demonstrated below. Several aspects

enterprises who have started sales, 50% havent

of a healthy social enterprise ecosystem exist in

yet consistently covered costs, 28% have broken

Malaysia, although not all of them. >>

The Founders and the Social Enterprises

even but are looking for consistent customers, and

The majority of social enterprise founders are aged

only 22% have found a consistent set of customers.

30 and below, showing that there are more youth


taking the initiative to start a social enterprise.

The majority of the social enterprises biggest


revenue stream came from doing B2B sales

Approximately two thirds of founders transitioned

(38.78%), followed by B2C sales (28.57%).The

into social enterprise from the corporate sector,

top 3 priorities of surveyed social enterprises are

compared to a third that had previously been

(i) to build their business sustainability, (ii) secure

working in the social sector before. When asked

additional funding and (iii) seek expert support and

why they had transitioned from their corporate

mentorship.

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Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Categories

Description

Malaysian Context

Support Organizations

Investors and angels

A variety of support services from private sector and civil society exist in Malaysia

Incubators/accelerators

including organisations such as myHarapan, Tandemic, and Social Enterprise Alliance.

Banks providing ease of access to

Further, grant providers and competitions also exist in Malaysia, such as from:

loans

AirAsia Foundation

Support services and mentors from

The British Council & Arthur Guinness Funds Entrepreneurs for Good

private sector and civil society

myHarapan Social Business Challenge

providing

Agensi Inovasi Malaysias Berbudi Berganda Challenge

other

kinds

of

non-

financial services such strategy,


management, legal support

However, this is far from creating an enabling support system. Malaysia is lacking in

Business plan competitions

financial involvement from investor, banks, company CSR initiatives, and philanthropy.

CSR and philanthropy

The development of most social enterprises in Malaysia is funded through grants or


personal money. Rarely are social enterprises backed by investors. According to the
national survey, 81% of social enterprises put in their personal money. Among those
who put in their own money, 70% of them fully funded their ventures themselves.

Knowledge providers

Primarily from academia and consulting,

A growing number of academic institutions are involving themselves in social enterprise.

these are organisations and institutions

These institutions include the Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at Binary University

that provide knowledge and capacity-

and the Social Enterprise and Economic Development program at Universiti Malaysia

building

Kelantan.
However, academic institutions and consultancies in Malaysia has not yet undertaken
a great deal of research and capacity in social enterprise, leaving ample space for
improvement in this area.

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

Categories

Description

Malaysian Context

Network, Enablers,

Shaping the way stakeholders interact,

Malaysian government is taking a more active role in supporting the social enterprise

and Policy

rather than directly supporting social

sector. However, over two thirds of social enterprises in the national survey felt that there

entrepreneurs,

was a lack of policy advocacy.

these

organisations

include network platforms and forums,


macro enablers including international

Increasing public forums and conferences are focusing on social enterprise as a

foundations

development

theme, such as the 2015 International Conference for Young Leaders, which focused

infrastructure

on Changing Communities through Social Entrepreneurship. Additionally, the Global

agencies

and

supporting

and programmes, and the government

Social Business Summit was held in Kuala Lumpur in 2013.


However, there do not exist ecosystem enablers that provide access to markets or
actively link philanthropy funding to the social enterprise ecosystem.

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Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

What are the challenges, barriers, and potential

incentives such as tax relief in order to promote

more visibility and community outreach to spread

solutions for Malaysian social entrepreneurs?

the growth of social enterprise. Suggestions also

knowledge and awareness of social enterprise.

included establishing an independent body that

Examples of these included roadshows, urban

would monitor impact measurement guidelines

and rural outreach, social enterprise ambassadors.

across registered social enterprises.

Community engagement should involve different

Three

key

challenges

for

Malaysian

social

entrepreneurs emerged in the roundtables, survey


results, and submissions: the lack of a legal entity

aspects of society such as academicians.

for social enterprises; low public awareness; and

Challenge 2

a struggle in acquiring the right skills, talent, and

Low public awareness serves as a barrier to potential

Participants

funding to sustain and scale their enterprises.

customers and investors. 95% of social enterprises

information about Malaysian social enterprise needs

in the MaGIC national survey voted that the public

to be more easily accessible.

Challenge 1

has between very little or little understanding on

highlighted

the

fact

that

online

Not having a formal legal identity for social

SEs. Over a third of social enterprises identified

Challenge 3

enterprise holds back the sector. In the roundtables,

weak public understanding of social enterprises as

Lacking the skills to turn a profit - Over 16%

social enterprises stated that choosing between

being one of their biggest challenges in running their

of respondents in the national survey identified

non-profit versus for-profit labels were undesirable.

venture. Roundtable participants and submissions

financial sustainability and revenue generation as

A key reason for wanting a formal legal identity or

stated that larger society often equated social

one of their top three challenges. Among those who

certification was because

corporate foundations

enterprises to non-governmental organisations

have started sales, almost half havent yet been

or CSR departments (i) found it problematic that

that are not-for-profit. Further, public mindset sees

able to consistently cover costs, 28% have broken

profits come into a social project or (ii) have legal

commercial business as more convincing and

even but are looking for consistent customers, and

restrictions that make it difficult for corporate

legitimate, which puts social enterprises at a value

only 22% have found a consistent set of customers.

funders to support a private company or a Sdn Bhd.

disadvantage. This serves as a barrier to supports

Roundtable participants felt that one of the greatest

such as funding, tax relief/exemptions, corporate

challenges to financial sustainability was because

engagement, and bank loans.

they lacked business acumen.

Suggestion: Participants suggested that there be

Suggestion: Participants suggested seeing more

Suggestion: Participants wanted to see a new


registration option that lay between a society and
a Sdn Bhd. This new hybrid model would provide

Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

programs by social enterprise intermediaries.

difficult, and of those who agreed, 60% of them say

Suggested

programs

included

accelerators,

it is due to difficulty in hiring good quality manpower

incubators,

and

trainings

for

financial

or the right people to do the job. 27% says is hard

sustainability and management. British Council also

to reach the salary demand, and 13% says people

reiterated this stating that there needed to be more

are skeptical of the nature of work.

more

intermediaries to assist social enterprises in financial


training, business plans/models, marketing and

Suggestion: Participants felt that larger public

communication, market research, and developing

legitimacy

products or services that reach a market.

in funding. Participants suggested that social

of

social

enterprise

would

assist

enterprises themselves needed to provide effective

Challenge 4

human resource support. Remuneration should be

Lacking resources such as funding and talent - Over

at market rate, career growth potential, personal

21% of social enterprises in the MaGIC national

and professional development, and social purpose

survey identified a lack of resources being one of

needed to be articulated in employment. Externally,

the key barriers to running their venture. Roundtable

they suggested better public awareness and

participants echoed this, highlighting that there was

government incentives might attract talent and

insufficient capital to help their ideas material.

resources into the social enterprise sector.

Additionally,

participants

stated

that

their

enterprises and the sector at large had trouble


attracting and retaining talent. They stated that
reasons for this included a lack of awareness in
regards to how to get involved and a poor public
awareness of the sector. According ot the national
survey, 75% of social enterprises agree that hiring is

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Malaysian Social Enterprise Blueprint

What kinds of changes in Malaysias Legal or Policy Framework could help Malaysian social enterprises?
Participants outlined the following the suggestions for Malaysias legal or policy framework, which can be
categorized into three: awareness, legal or financial incentives, and government enforcement.
Suggestion

Description

Official recognition of social enterprise

Participants were keen to see a specialized label or brand in order to generate awareness, similar to the
B-Corp brand in the United States. Participants felt that recognizing social enterprise accomplishments
and showcasing the results that social enterprises have made would improve public awareness.
Participants also suggested requiring social enterprise education in school curriculums. Setting a national
vision for social enterprise would be helpful.

Provide tax incentives to make it


easier for donors and corporate bodies
to contribute to social enterprises

Participants recognised that there needed to be a new structure for social enterprise, one that would
recognize and assist their dual social mission and business models. Tax incentives (relief or exemption)
were brought up multiple times as a tool to support social enterprises. Legal suggestions included giving
social enterprises a pioneer status to be relieved from tax for a permitted period of time, and perhaps to
receive tax-exemption for the portion of income reinvested back into the enterprise.

A legal framework to prevent abuse

However, participants also voiced concerns that tax incentives might bring companies masquerading as
social enterprises into the sector. Participants also felt that benefits for social enterprise staff would assist
them, especially in the start-up phase.
Some participants believed that a specific legal structure could also necessitate a governance body that
would require that social enterprises have an explicit social mission, transparency, as well as financial
and impact measurement systems. This could build trust amongst the public of the legitimacy of social
enterprises.

The concept (of social entrepreneurship) may be quite new in Malaysia


but we already have several resourceful social entrepreneurs. These
people are special because they see opportunities rather than problems
and apply fundamentals of business to create a sustainable model,
without depending on charity, that leads towards equitable society.
YAB Dato Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak
Prime Minister of Malaysia

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