The inaugural SME Market Expansion Showcase, which was officially presented to the business community in the city, saw it bringing together more than 30 curated businesses and serious business visitors to the CityStage @ KL City Walk.
The showcase was not just a marketplace but also a business growth platform where brands could gain exposure, sell directly, and build strategic partnerships. The core focus of the programme was divided into several areas that included direct customer engagement, on-the-spot sales opportunities, industry forum talks and networking sessions with key decision-makers.
It was also a business platform designed to help participants learn, connect, and grow their businesses.
The one-day event was attended by a variety of SME owners, entrepreneurs, corporate professionals, decision-makers as well as buyers & investors.
In her welcome address, event organiser Tanker Collaborative's Director Janet New, said “SMEs are the backbone of our economy. Through this showcase, we aim to create a meaningful ecosystem where entrepreneurs can access funding insights, embrace digital growth, prioritise health, and build strategic partnerships that drive sustainable success.”
“The true value of this event lies in active participation. Exhibitors should showcase not just products, but solutions and opportunities for collaboration. Visitors should approach every booth and forum session with curiosity and purpose. When engagement is intentional, ecosystems grow stronger."
The highlight of the forum session was on Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) in measuring a company's sustainability, ethical impact, and operational risks.
Taking the lead on ESG for SMEs was Stacia Lim, the Director for Corporate Governance. Lim spoke in depth about embedding ESG into an SMEs strategy and why ESG was no longer optional. She also spoke about what ESG meant for SMEs and shared practical frameworks for SMEs to adopt into their businesses during her valuable session
“Malaysia's National Sustainability Reporting Framework (NSRF) and amended Bursa Malaysia Listing Requirements now pull scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. Malaysia is reporting on a phased mandatory track, with 1st January 2027 as the inflection point. This scope 3 reporting in Malaysia reshapes supplier and SME obligations.,” Lim explained.
Advancing the topic even further was the panel session with Lim, Shu Yi Kuek. the founder of tax specialists KPL Corporate Advisory and Alan Chin, Vice President of Group Sustainability and Strategic Partnerships from Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad. The session on ESG in Action: Unlocking Grants, Tax Benefits & Green Financing for SMEs was moderated by Sally Yap, a work permit consultant from PeakJob.
The panel spoke about reality checks for SME's on ESG and shared a some important case studies during the well attended session. They also explored tax incentives, compliances & hidden benefits in adapting ESG and ways of unlocking green loans.
“ESG adoption doesn’t have to be high-cost, start where you are,” Lim continued in the breakout session.
Malaysia’s new incentive framework, effective from 1st March 2026, is designed to shift towards a more targeted, outcome-based approach, with ESG practices as a key criterion for eligibility. It will first apply to the manufacturing sector, while the timeline for the services sector will be announced later, with incentives potentially granted for up to 15 years.
“Being sustainable is not just about ticking off a checklist, it is a source of competitive advantage that can put SMEs ahead of the competition,” added Chin.
Other forum sessions included the health talk by Nutrition Consultant, Dr. JC Wong from JC Lifestyle Coaching who spoke about protecting the heart with a good oil diet, understanding good vs bad fats, reducing harmful oils, right cooking methods, and natural cholesterol management.
Dr Wong also shared the stage with medical doctor Dr. Anandarajah Shanmugam, co-founder of Healthy Lifestyle Solutions, in a panel session that discussed going beyond health medical and diagnostic, in exploring heart disease.
Marketing Influencer Kien Lim, Founder of Attitude Ideology spoke about market expansion for SMEs, touching on advancing into new markets, using digital channels, partnership models and scaling without overheads.
The final panel session saw Kien Lim join Newspin Communication's PR Director, Marc Ng and Brand & Communication Consultant, Clarence Koh sharing their opinions on content creation, PR, social media & KOLs in the attention economy. The panel was moderated by Gina Woon, Co-Founder of Novela Boutique.
All exhibitors also had the chance to do a 90 second introduction of their businesses during the networking sessions at the venue.
The event was organised by Tanker Collaborative Sdn Bhd, an event and business activation company with operations in Malaysia and Hong Kong.
