71 foreign F&B franchisors registered to operate in Malaysia

This represents 42% of the 170 F&B franchisors on the national register.

The entrepreneur development and cooperatives ministry acknowledged the challenges faced by MSMEs due to the entry of international companies offering lower-priced F&B products backed by scale and global supply chains.

KUALA LUMPUR:

 A total of 71 foreign food and beverage (F&B) franchisors were registered to operate in Malaysia as of Dec 31, 2025, representing 42% of the 170 F&B franchisors on the national register, the entrepreneur development and cooperatives ministry said.

In a written reply on the Parliament website, the ministry said the government was aware of the challenges faced by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), particularly in the franchise sector, due to the entry of international companies offering lower-priced F&B products backed by scale and global supply chains.

“The ministry ensures that only applications by foreign franchisors that are genuinely qualified and capable of contributing to the national economy are approved for registration,” it said.

It was responding to a question from Siti Mastura Muhammad (PN-Kepala Batas) on the mechanisms the government plans to implement to protect local economic players, especially domestic MSMEs, from intense competition arising from the entry of international firms.

Separately, the ministry said its agencies had rolled out programmes to expand market access for MSME products, including live-streaming initiatives and free studio facilities through collaboration between Tekun Nasional and TikTok Shop.

The initiatives aim to raise entrepreneurs’ sales value, alongside Pernas’s MyMall platform which provides free online marketing space for MSME products and services. - FMT