Exporting the Malaysian DNA: ASBhive Moderates at Alliance Bank BizSmart 2026
Redza Shahid of ASBhive moderated a panel with Bayu Somerset, KANTIN and MinNature on how homegrown brands can scale overseas without losing their cultural soul.
Homegrown brands can scale regionally without losing their cultural soul — provided they balance financial discipline with compelling storytelling.
That was the key takeaway from the panel "Exporting the Malaysian DNA: Commercial Oxygen or Cultural Preservation", held at Alliance Bank Malaysia's flagship Alliance Bank BizSmart Business Conference 2026 at W Kuala Lumpur.
The panel
Moderated by Redza Shahid, Assistant Director of ASBhive at Asia School of Business, the session featured:
- Emir Fauzi, CEO and co-founder of Bayu Somerset
- Carmen Toh, founder of KANTIN
- Wan Cheng Huat, founder of MinNature Malaysia
The conference's third edition drew more than 900 entrepreneurs, business leaders and ecosystem partners. Themed "From Local Champions to National Icons", it set out to equip micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with the strategic tools, financial frameworks and cross-border networks they need to grow beyond local borders.
Scale or preserve?
Opening the discussion, Redza noted that Malaysia's creative economy drives roughly 6.8% of national GDP, generating around RM130.7 billion. Yet entrepreneurs face a classic dilemma: scale rapidly and risk commodifying heritage, or preserve artisanal authenticity at the expense of growth.
Let the numbers decide
For Bayu Somerset, scaling comes down to rigorous financial testing. Emir explained that the brand tapped an underserved market for accessible, everyday traditional wear.
"Any expansion needs to make sense in terms of numbers." — Emir Fauzi, Bayu Somerset
While retail outlets typically take one to three years to pay back, Bayu Somerset targets a six-month breakeven window.
"Before investing heavily, we test the market through temporary pop-ups. Once proven, we invest with a target minimum of 50% same-store sales growth."
Building awareness abroad
Taking Malaysian heritage overseas brings a different hurdle: market awareness. Alliance Bank Group CEO Kellee Kam reinforced the bank's commitment to supporting MSMEs along that journey.
Why it matters for ASBhive
Helping Malaysian founders grow without losing what makes them distinctive is at the heart of ASBhive's work from creative social enterprises in MyCreative SEF: Coach & Grow to the founders in our Bangkit Accelerator. Thank you to Alliance Bank, Daniel Cerventus, Jesyka Hiu for the invitation and to Emir, Carmen and Cheng Huat for a candid conversation.
This post is based on "Brands can preserve heritage in overseas expansion", published by The Star on 7 October 2026. Read the original article on The Star. Photos: Alliance Bank BizSmart Business Conference 2026.