14th April 2026 - 2 min read
AEON Bank (M) Bhd has partnered with SURI Inspirasi Sdn Bhd to launch the Sustainable. Reliable. Income (S.R.I.) initiative, a six-month training scheme aimed at helping youth and mothers from low-income households build income-generating skills through sewing. The initiative began in March 2026 and is aligned with Bank Negara Malaysia’s iTEKAD social finance scheme.
The S.R.I. initiative targets 60 participants across three rounds of training, each running for six months. Eligible participants must be Malaysian citizens aged 18 to 60, residing in Selangor, and from B40 communities. The scheme is specifically open to single mothers, women, and youth.
Training covers sewing, product development, and Indigo Shibori tie-dye techniques using upcycled materials such as denim and linen. Participants also receive training in digital marketing and mobile photography through a collaboration with Zucchini & Co., giving graduates the tools to document and market their products independently.
Upon completing the scheme, graduates receive a portable sewing machine. Financial literacy training is also included, covering AEON Bank’s digital app, cybersecurity awareness, and basic financial tools.
During the training, participants contribute to the MySURi Seragam initiative, producing 1,000 school uniforms for students from low-income families, orphanages, and charity homes. The income from this work is returned to the participants directly.
Graduates can continue earning after completing the scheme by selling premium sustainable products through SURI’s platform or consignment channels, with proceeds returned to them.
The S.R.I. initiative follows AEON Bank’s earlier GrowthStart scheme, which engaged 65 female microentrepreneurs under the same iTEKAD framework.
iTEKAD is a social finance scheme introduced by Bank Negara Malaysia to help low-income microentrepreneurs generate sustainable income. It combines skills training with access to social finance instruments, including zakat funds and investment accounts structured under Shariah-compliant principles, channelled through participating banks.
AEON Bank is one of the banks operating under this framework, alongside others such as Bank Islam and CIMB Islamic. The first round of 20 participants is already full, but two more rounds remain open. Registration for the second round runs from 20 April to 1 May 2026, and the third from 11 May to 22 May 2026. Interested applicants can register online through SURI’s official registration form.
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Iman writes about personal finance with curiosity. She is interested in the stories behind money, the hesitation around big decisions, and the small habits that shape financial futures. Off the clock, she is either dissecting a film or climbing her way up the leaderboard in her favourite games.
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