We want to globalise e-commerce, not our platform: Jack Ma

SEPANG: The main aim of the Alibaba Group is to empower small businesses and raise them to a higher level, thus creating a sustainable environment for them to grow.
Founder/Executive Chairman, Jack Ma, said the group has no plans to globalise its brand but that its sole target was to open the world's doors to e-commerce through the Internet.
"That is the difference between us and other digital platforms. We are not aiming to globalise Alibaba but what we want is to empower and globalise the small and medium enterprises (SMEs)," he said at a press conference here today.
After launching the first phase of Digital Free Trade Zone (DFTZ) here today, Ma said, the next goal was to bring in cloud computing for the SMEs to ensure they have the latest systems to work with.
The group was looking forward to collaborating with the Education Ministry to teach students how to do business online, he said.
"Nobody should be scared to venture into e-commerce sector. Use the platform and for the young people, it is an advantage for them as they are born in the technology era," he said.
Ma said the presence of DFTZ would enhance the opportunity for SMEs to reach out not only to the China market but also Russia, Europe and the Middle East.
"Soon, all businesses must be globalised if they want to sustain because the world is moving towards e-commerce," he said.
Ma said the module of DFTZ could be replicated elsewhere and in five years time, other countries would have the similar module which would benefit not only the major economic players but also SMEs.
"By sustaining small businesses, we can go on for a longer period of time, but with big companies, we can only sustain only for a short period, let's just say, five years," he said.
Earlier, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Ma brought to life Malaysia's DFTZ by flagging off over 1,972 export-ready SMEs onboard.
The world's first DFTZ is a key component in driving Malaysia's digital economy, facilitating SMEs to capitalise on the convergence of exponential growth of the Internet economy and cross-border trade.
DFTZ would increase the SMEs' exports to US$38 billion (US$1 = RM4.23), create over 60,000 jobs and support US$65 billion worth of goods moving through DFTZ by 2025.
It would make Malaysia Asia's leading trans-shipment hub by 2025. — Bernama