PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today witnessed the exchange of a contract worth RM44.36 million for the production of a nutritional drink under the 'Upin Ipin' brand.
The collaboration is between two Bumiputera companies, MGV Industries Sdn Bhd and Les' Copaque Sdn Bhd, via its subsidiary UI Trading Sdn Bhd.
Under the agreement, MGV Industries will produce chocolate malt drinks using the popular children's cartoon characters, which are hugely popular in both the Malaysia and Indonesian market.
Present at the event were Works Ministry Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, who is also Bumiputera Agenda Steering Unit (Teraju) chairman, and Teraju chief executive officer Datuk Husni Salleh.
Husni said such a collaboration would further strengthen the High Performing Bumiputera SME Programme, better known as Teras.
"This is the fourth strategic collaboration inked among Teras companies involving a contract value of more than RM600 million," he said.
Les' Copaque managing-director Burhanuddin Md Radzi said the cooperation with MGV industries would create a win-win outcome for both sides.
He said the company would use the popular 'Upin Ipin' brand to market the nutritional drink in Malaysia and eventually in Indonesia where the brand is also popular.
MGV Industries group managing director Zakaria Jusoh said the company can produce one million bottles of the chocolate malt drink every month.