Empowering Immigrant Entrepreneurship Activities: Business Support and Cash Waqf for Immigrant Entrepreneurs Model

Authors

  • Asiah Nadhirah Binti Nor Nizam
  • Mohamed Asmy Bin Mohd Thas Thaker (Scopus ID: 57191286702) International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
  • Anwar Allah Pitchay Universiti Sains Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14421/grieb.2025.131-02

Keywords:

Immigrant Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, Cash Waqf, Malaysia, Islamic Finance

Abstract

This study aims to shed a light on how Islamic finance can play a significant role in alleviating the challenges that IE experienced and improving the accessibility to fiscal sources and social integration of the Immigrant Entrepreneurs (IE) in the host country, especially Malaysia. The prominent challenges that the IEs are facing are the difficulties in accessing the capital to finance their business and the lack of knowledge of the local regulations. The findings lead to a model that aims to tackle the challenges that IE experienced via Business Support and Cash Waqf for IE Model (BS-WIEM). The BS-WIEM acts as a comprehensive initiative to bridge the resource disparity among IE in terms of funding accessibility and human capital development. This study attempts to construct the BS-WIEM based on the extensive literature review related to the challenges the IE experienced and waqf. This research can positively impact the development and funding of the IE in Malaysia. This study will provide insights to the government, waqf institutions, corporations, financial institutions, and policymakers about alternative funding options for IE businesses and start-ups in the host country. Less tension on the public spending by the government with the involvement of non-profit organizations. This conceptual paper only explores the literature; thus, no empirical analysis is available. More in-depth and comprehensive insights could be identified with the empirical studies. Future research on the regulatory and shariah perspective of the model should be done. The findings of this paper will offer a cash waqf model as an alternative to fund the development of entrepreneurship in Malaysia, especially for immigrants.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

Mohamed Asmy Bin Mohd Thas Thaker, (Scopus ID: 57191286702) International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur

Scopus ID: 57191286702

Google Scholar Profile

International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur

Abstract viewed: 241 times | PDF downloaded = 160 times

References

Abdullah, M. A., & Ismail, A. G. (2020). Waqf-based microfinance and its potential role in promoting financial inclusion in Malaysia. Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research, 11(9), 1921–1935. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIABR-07-2019-0142

Abdullah, M., Nel, P., Mellalieu, P., & Thaker, A. (2016). Immigrant entrepreneurs in Malaysia: an exploratory study on their business success and prospects in small retail business. P. Davidsson and E. Douglas (Ed.), Australian Centre for Entrepreneurship, Research Exchange (ACERE) Conference, 1-14.

Altinay, L., & Altinay, E. (2008). Factors influencing business growth: The rise of Turkish entrepreneurship in the UK. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 24-46.

Azman, N., Ismail, M. Z., & Hassan, R. (2020). Informal entrepreneurship among immigrants in Malaysia: A case study in urban Klang Valley. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 10(6), 223–235. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v10-i6/7273

Bates, T. (1997). Financing small business creation: The case of Chinese and Korean immigrant entrepreneurs. Journal of Business Venturing, 109-124.

Bejawi, T., Yang, Q., & Han, Y. (2015). Funding accessibility for minority entrepreneurs: an empirical analysis. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 716-733.

Bird, M., & Wennberg, k. (2016). Why family matters: The impact of family resources on immigrant entrepreneurs' exit from entrepreneurship. Journal of Business Venturing, 687-704.

Bonacich, E. (1973). A theory of middleman minorities. American Sociological Review, 38(5), 583–594. https://doi.org/10.2307/2094404

Cassar, G. (2004). The financing of business start-ups. Journal of Business Venturing, 261-283.

Chimucheka, T., Muchineripi, J., & Chinyamurindi, W. (2019). A narrative analysis of barriers encountered by a sample of immigrant entrepreneurs in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa, 1-9.

Chrysostome, E., & Arcand, S. (2009). Survival of necessity immigrant entrepreneurs: An exploratory study. Journal of Comparative International Management, 3-29.

Dahlan, N., Yaa'kub, N., Hamid, M., & Palil, M. (2014). Waqf (endowment) practice in Malaysian society. International Journal of Islamic Thought, 56.

Dallalfar, A. (1994). Iranian women as immigrant entrepreneurs. Gender & Society, 541-561.

De Vita, L., Mari, M., & Poggesi, S. (2014). Women entrepreneurs in and from developing countries: Evidences from the literature. European Management Journal, 451-460.

Desiderio, M. V. (2014). Policies to support immigrant entrepreneurship. Washington DC: Migration Policy Institute.

Enow, M. C. (2010). Immigrant Entrepreneurship - Case studies of challenges faced by immigrant entrepreneurs in a large and small Swedish city. MBA Thesis, 1-42.

Eraydin, A., Tuna, T. K., & Vranken, J. (2010). Diversity Matters: Immigrant Entrepreneurship and Contribution of Different Forms of Social Integration in Economic Performance of Cities. Diversity and Creativity as a Research and Policy Challenge.

Fairlie, R. (2024, March 28). Immigrants and latinos are most entrepreneurial in U.S., study finds. Axios. https://www.axios.com/2024/03/28/latino-economic-growth-business-native-born-citizens

Fairlie, R. W. (2024). The contribution of immigrant entrepreneurs to the U.S. economy: Evidence from recent data. Small Business Economics. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-024-00712-3

Fatoki, O., & Patswawairi, T. (2012). The motivations and obstacles to immigrant entrepreneurship in South Africa. Journal of Social Sciences, 133-142.

Garg, A. K., & Phayane, N. (2014). Impact of small businesses owned by immigrant entrepreneurs on the local community of Brits. Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Development, 57-85.

Hamid, H. A. (2020). Challenges experienced by immigrant entrepreneurs in a developing non-Western country: Malaysia. Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, 7-25.

Hasan, Z., & Siraj, S. A. (2016). Toward developing a framework of corporate waqf for human development in Malaysia. ISRA International Journal of Islamic Finance, 8(1), 97–106.

Kloosterman, R., & Rath, J. (2018). Immigrant entrepreneurship: Venturing abroad in the age of globalization (2nd ed.). Routledge.

Kloosterman, R., van der Leun, J., & Rath, J. (1999). Mixed embeddedness: (In)formal economic activities and immigrant businesses in the Netherlands. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 23(2), 252–266. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2427.00194

Korna, J. M., Abanyam, L. N., & Sambe, N. (2013). The effects of informal financial institutions on the socio-economic development of Adikpo Town. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 75-82.

Lee, W., & Black, S. (2016). Small business development: immigrants’ access to loan capital. Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship, 193-209.

MDEC. (2022). Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC). Retrieved from Malaysia Tech Enterpreneur Programme (MTEP): https://mdec.my/mtep

Mohsin, M. I. A., Kahf, M., & Karim, M. R. A. (2016). Waqf and its role in socio-economic development: A review. Journal of Islamic Management Studies, 1(1), 55–71.

Moti, M., & Urban, B. (2024). Entrepreneurial intention and social capital among African immigrant entrepreneurs in South Africa. Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship, 29(1), 45–67. https://doi.org/10.1142/S108494672450003X

Moti, M., & Urban, B. (2024). Immigrants as entrepreneurs in emerging economies: Institutional, self-efficacy, and social networking effects on enterprise performance. Small Business International Review, 8(2).

Moutray, C. (2008). 'Looking ahead: Opportunities and challenges for entrepreneurship and and Small Business Owners. SSRN Electronic Journal.

Nemat, B. (2024). Immigrant entrepreneurship in Canada: Performance, challenges, and policy implications. Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/cjas.1742

Nemat, M. (2024). Entrepreneurial immigrants: Powering innovation in Canada. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Venturing, 17(4), 439–462.

Nonna, K., & Heilbrunn, S. (2008). Financial funding of immigrant businesses. Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship, 167-184.

OECD. (2014). Migration Policy Debates. OECD.

Pitchay, A. A., Thaker, M. A. M. T., Mydin, A. A., Azhar, Z., & Latiff, P. A. (2018). Cooperative-waqf model: A proposal to develop idle waqf lands in Malaysia. ISRA International Journal of Islamic Finance, 10(2), 225–236. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJIF-07-2017-0013

Pitchay, A. A., Thaker, M. A. M. T., Mydin, R. T., Azhar, Z., & Abdul Rahman, A. (2018). Cooperative-waqf model: A proposal to develop idle waqf lands in Malaysia. ISRA International Journal of Islamic Finance, 10(2), 225–236.

Portes, A., & Zhou, M. (1992). Gaining the upper hand: Economic mobility among immigrant and domestic minorities. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 15(4), 491–522. https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.1992.9993761

Rahmandoust, M., Ahmadian, S., & Shah, I. M. (2011). Iranian entrepreneurs in Malaysia: Reasons for their migration. World Applied Sciences Journal, 2075-2081.

Rashid, S., Zainal Abidin, I., & Islam, M. (2018). Setting up immigrant business in Malaysia. Institute for Management and Business Research (IMBRe).

Ruan, M., Baskaran, A., & Zhou, S. (2022). Mainland Chinese immigrant-owned SMEs in Malaysia: Case Studies. Millennial Asia 13(1), 5-34.

Ruan, M., Baskaran, A., & Zhou, S. (2025). Immigrant entrepreneurship in Malaysia: The case of mainland Chinese-owned SMEs. International Journal of Business and Globalisation, 24(2), 141–166.

Ruan, X., Baskaran, A., & Zhou, Y. (2025). Innovation and informal entrepreneurship among migrant communities in Southeast Asia: A Malaysian case. Asian Journal of Technology Innovation, 33(1), 98–117. https://doi.org/10.1080/19761597.2025.2012523

Satu, A., & Elisa, A. (2012). Lack of trust – The main obstacle for immigrant entrepreneurship? Turku school of Economics at the University of Turku.

Statista Research Department. (2020, October 5). Statista. Retrieved from Number of immigrants in Malaysia from 2005 to 2020: https://www.statista.com/statistics/697812/malaysia-number-of-immigrants/

Teixeira, C., Lo, L., & Truelove, M. (2007). Immigrant Entrepreneurship, Institutional Discrimination, and Implications for Public Policy: A Case Study in Toronto. Environment and Planning, 176-193.

Tengeh, K. R., & Nkem, L. (2017). Sustaining Immigrant Entrepreneurship in South Africa: The Role of Informal Financial Associations. Sustainability.

Thaker, M. M., Amin, M., Thaker, H. M., Khaliq, A., & Pitchay, A. (2021). Cash waqf model for micro enterprises' human capital development. ISRA International Journal of Islamic Finance, 66-83.

United Nations. (2022). World Population Prospects. United Nations Population Division.

Uusitalo, A. (2022). How to establish a business in Finland as an immigrant. Valkeakoski Campus and International Business, 1-43.

Wang, Y., & Warn, J. (2019). Break-out strategies of Chinese immigrant entrepreneurs in Australia. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 217-242.

Yaacob, H., Salleh, M., & Abdul Rahman, R. (2022). Cash waqf models for micro-entrepreneur development in Malaysia: Empirical evidence from NGO programs. Journal of Islamic Monetary Economics and Finance, 8(2), 233–255. https://doi.org/10.21098/jimf.v8i2.1533

Yang, J. J., & Girotto, M. (2024). Exploring the role of ethnic networking ties in immigrant entrepreneurship: A comprehensive review and research agenda. Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, 18(6), 1313–1336.

Yendaw, E. (2022). Driving factors and sources of capital for immigrant entrepreneurs in Ghana. Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research.

Yoon, J. I. (1991). The changing significance of ethnic and class resources in immigrant businesses: The case of korean immigrant businesses in Chicago. International Migration Review, 303-332.

Downloads

Published

2025-05-27

Issue

Section

Articles