“Tok Peraih”—The Myth of Entrepreneurial Leadership Among Malay Women in the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia

Abstract

Over the years, women have made themselves outstanding in the manoeuvrability and dynamism of the business world. Explicitly and implicitly, the notion of involvement among women in business is deemed to be extraordinary and welcomed with open arms by many. After all, women know their livings are the uppermost of achieving superiority by the means of business as well as life beyond businesswoman or the vivid cases of good living. Unlike other branches of knowledge, Entrepreneurial Leadership is a new concept, and it has been largely dictated based on man-related leadership and entrepreneurship in big business, Western society, and its hegemony. However, among women, although this is yet very paramount, it has not been refined according to their nature, mindset, presence in the market, and involvement with their business fraternity and stakeholders around them. This is especially true in the context of developing countries and specific regions or areas. Against this backdrop, this study closely wishes to determine the base of entrepreneurial leadership among women entrepreneurs in the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, using Tok Peraih as the case. As the said title symbolises the point maker among businesswomen as they furnish their exemplary achievement within the local business community and market vicinity, they are known as the point makers and the market controllers. The finding notifies that entrepreneurial leadership is not nonsensical myth, and it is a well-known fact that those women are predominantly people albeit being surrounded by facts of male domain enterprises. Their existence, role, and achievement command for deeper explanation.