Dining-in was prohibited and she was worried that her new Nasi Ayam Hainan restaurant in Putrajaya, which had only begun operating over a year ago, would not be able to survive.

Business was already slow pre-lockdown, as she waited hopefully every day for new customers to come through the doors.

“I had to think of a way for sales to go back up because customers could no longer come to dine in. So the best option was Grab Food. A friend of mine, who owns a restaurant, introduced them to me,” she told FMT.

To her surprise, the procedure to get on board the platform was smooth and easy to understand. She felt like things were finally looking up.

“A consultant from Grab came to register us. I only needed to submit my documents. She taught us everything, from A to Z.

“My application was approved in three weeks, then I could immediately start my online operations.”

After going digital, it was no longer the same as sales went up as much as 80%. Where she used to earn around RM2,000 a day, she now earns double the amount thanks to the online platform.

Not only did the digital platform enable her customers to order by delivery, it even helped advertise her shop to potential consumers.

Now, under the recovery MCO, Rosnani’s clientele of dine-in customers is no longer limited to Putrajaya folk but they also come from Kajang, Bangi, and Puchong to as far as Nilai.

“It’s because those who ordered through Grab during the MCO now know our shop. So now they don’t order through Grab, they come to the shop,” she said. Business has been so good that she has had to employ two new workers to cope with the increased orders.

After seeing for herself the benefits of embracing digitalisation, Rosnani said she is now eager to take up other options to digitise and further build her business.

She said she was grateful to Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), which played a key role in promoting her business, adding that she would consider joining some MDEC courses if time permits.

Another restaurateur, Mohamad Tajularus Abdul Wahab, who runs Nasi Tomato Batu Lanchang in Penang, said he was grateful for online delivery platforms as they help to boost his family restaurant’s business, which has been around for more than 20 years.

Speaking to FMT, he said embracing digitalisation in his business has helped to keep the restaurant’s clientele growing, instead of just depending on the usual walk-in customers.

When the MCO hit, this was all the more crucial for the restaurant, as online deliveries became a lifeline for them, he said.

A friend told him about Grab Food and helped him register his business on the platform.

“The process is easy and during the MCO, sales made from deliveries went up tremendously,” he said. His overall business increased by 40%.

“And after that, business was busier because the government gave incentives using e-wallets. So, some customers use their e-wallet to order, whether they’re ordering online or even dining in,” said Tajularus, who took charge of the family business seven years ago.

He added that the platforms made it easier for small businesses to offer delivery services as the companies provide riders, as opposed to years ago when food outlets would have to employ their own delivery men.

MDEC in collaboration with the communications and multimedia ministry recently launched its #SayaDigital movement. Its chief executive officer, Surina Shukri, said they want to empower Malaysians so they can quickly embrace digital skills and technologies.

“This will enable them to benefit from the opportunities that the nation’s digital economy has to offer. The movement’s primary aim is to accelerate a digital society and spur the country to make the digital leap into the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to achieve shared prosperity for all.”

Various programmes such as PeDAS, eUsahawan, eRezeki, 100 Go Digital, Go-eCommerce, and eBerkat are designed to help cultivate the digitalisation of local businesses.

The #SayaDigital campaign will feature several MDEC-led programmes in August, providing businesses with various means to go digital and enabling Malaysians to be digitally skilled with speed and at scale.

The first two weeks were focused on scaling digital adoption among businesses, while the subsequent two weeks will provide opportunities for Malaysians to learn and enhance their digital skills.

The SME Digital Summit, part of the #SayaDigital campaign, is the first of its kind in Malaysia and attracted over one million participants who learned about and implemented digital solutions to restart or expand their businesses.

“In engaging various segments across Malaysia, from micro-entrepreneurs and SMEs to gig workers, businesses and even students, #SayaDigital’s customised programmes provide every possible means to those who want to make that digital leap and navigate the new normal successfully,” said Surina.

For more on how #SayaDigital can guide your journey through digitalisation, go to www.mdec.my/sayadigital.