Prime Minister's wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor wants women entrepreneurs in the small and medium industries (SMI) to be fearless in facing the reality and challenges of entrepreneurship.

She said this was because many top figures in the business world, such as Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Ma began building their empire at the micro level.

"Learn from them and let them motivate and inspire you to strive and to take your business to greater heights.

"But, don't stop at micro level, spread your wings and expand your business to national and international levels," she said at the meet-and-greet event with the participants of Malaysian Women Foundation's (YWM) 1,001 Women Entrepreneurs Skills Project at the Dewan Perdana Felda here today.

The inaugural project was aimed at encouraging women, especially among youths and single mothers, to venture into and excel in business. A total of 1,001 women from 222 parliamentary constituencies participated in the project, in which they were exposed to the theory and practice of hairdressing.

Rosmah, who is also the patron of YWM, said she was very happy with the initiative taken by the foundation to produce more women entrepreneurs in micro businesses.

She also proposed for the foundation to organised basic business courses that would touch on financial and account management, ICT, marketing and other relevant aspects of entrepreneurship.

Also present were YWM chairman Datuk Faridah Abu Hassan, National Council of Women's Organisation (NCWO) president Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hasan Shahabuddin, Yayasan Suara Wanita chairman Tan Sri Zaleha Ismail. - BERNAMA