PUCHONG: RASHIDAH Ibrahim has a mission. The executive director of Malaysia Vaccine and Pharmaceuticals, the country’s only veterinary vaccines manufacturer, wants to help Malaysia become self-sufficient in the field.
The 54-year-old said this was also the wish of Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is an advocate of locally-made products, and is aware of how much the country is spending on imported vaccines and medicines for animals.
According to Rashidah, MVP started in 1989 with two shareholders: the founder who won the tender and Arthur Webster Australia. “After a few years, Khazanah Nasional Bhd through its unit Malaysian Technology Development Corp bought over the founder’s 70 per cent share.
“In 2006, it made an offer to dispose of about 55 per cent of MVP. At the time, I was a stockbroker looking for a professional reconversion, so I joined the bid and won,” she added.
“Being someone with no scientific background, it was quite a big shift for me, to be heading such an outfit. But I was determined to make an impact and contribute to society and country.”
Rashidah said MVP was set up to reduce the country’s dependence on imported vaccines.
“In the early days, our local market share was below 10 per cent and 80 per cent of our sales were from exports. I guess it could be due to the Malaysian mindset that anything imported is of better quality.
“I had to make a mark abroad, by going to exhibitions to sell MVP. Slowly but surely, people got to know about the company.
“With our success abroad, I felt it would be easier to convince locals that MVP is a reputable company with good products. I decided to come home after making our first million in 2014.”
Rashidah said MVP was able to penetrate the local market effectively through collaboration with top distributors and dealers.
“In Malaysia, our competitors are only importers and they are mostly big players in the industry. Nevertheless, our success in overseas markets made our job much easier. We engaged more veterinarians to go to the field and provide technical support to farmers.”
In 2017 and 2018, MVP spent effort to market its products locally. Its local clients now are spread across Johor, Penang, Kedah, Perak, Pahang and parts of Kelantan.
Rashidah admits that with big players in the industry, market conditions are tough. “We are focusing more on Malaysia and Southeast Asia for two reasons: easier market penetration and our vaccines are more suited to warm climates.”
She said poultry farms in the region were also smaller, and there was a need for specific order volumes for vaccine doses.
“In Southeast Asian countries, small-time farmers would need vaccinations for their animals, but only rear 500 chickens or ducks. Our smaller vials can be used for between 100 and 250 animals, which is a good thing for us.”
MVP also customised its vaccines to suit market needs.
“In the Middle East for example, we have vaccines that are customised to resist heat.
“We always expand and explore new types of vaccinations as we cannot just rely on existing products, in case of a new outbreak.”
She said MVP had been collaborating with Universiti Putra Malaysia and the Veterinary Research Institute on new development and research.
Rashidah said MVP was ready to be one of the major players in the world for animal health.