SME Bank relief president and CEO Samad Majid Zain.
KUALA LUMPUR: Small Medium Enterprise Development Bank Bhd (SME Bank) has channelled more than RM50bil in approved financing to more than 26,000 customers nationwide since its establishment in 2005, building a legacy of transformative entrepreneurial support and national development.
In a statement, SME Bank said that, beyond financing, it has empowered over 90,000 entrepreneurs and strengthened Malaysia’s micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) ecosystem, aligning with Bank Negara Malaysia’s Performance Measurement Framework and the Madani Economy framework.
Its relief president and chief executive officer, Samad Majid Zain, said the bank has approved financing of over RM4bil across almost 700 SMEs year to date, strengthening its role as an inclusive and high-impact development financial institution.
“Malaysia is home to 1.08 million MSMEs, representing 96.1% of all business establishments, with micro enterprises making up more than 70%.
“This segment continues to power our nation’s growth, contributing RM652.4bil, or 39.5% of gross domestic product in 2024.
“Our mandate has always been clear, which is to empower the SME ecosystem throughout their lifecycle,” he said.
Samad Majid said SME Bank adopts a holistic development approach through its Beyond Financing proposition, which includes business coaching, market access support and digital upskilling initiatives such as Maju Usahawan Madani, the Halal Entrepreneurship Development Programme and the Business Exports Programme.
Looking ahead, SME Bank said it will continue strengthening the MSME ecosystem through targeted financing and capacity-building programmes.
“This direction is further reinforced by Budget 2025, which mandated SME Bank to implement strategic national programmes totalling nearly RM2bil,” it said. — Bernama
