PETALING JAYA: Corporate borrowing in Malaysia hit another record high in May, as companies ramped up financing for utilities and infrastructure projects.
CGS International (CGSI) Research said business loan growth rose to a record 7% year-on-year (y-o-y) at end-May from 6.3% at end-April.
The research house noted that business loan growth was driven by a 38.1% y-o-y increase in utility loans, while household loans sustained at 5.5% y-o-y.
It added Malaysia’s banking loan growth rose to 5.7% y-o-y in May from 5.6% in April, marking a fourth consecutive monthly increase.
The banking system’s total loans grew 2.3% in the first five months of 2026 to RM2.41 trillion, translating into an annualised growth rate of 5.5%.
Loan approvals rose 3% y-o-y in May, although CGSI Research noted growth moderated from the double-digit gains in the previous two months due to a high base effect.
It stated on May 26, loan approvals had a higher base of RM77.3bil compared to RM65bil to RM67bil in March - April 26.
The research house pointed out that consumer lending also softened, with approvals for mortgages and auto loans declining, but stronger working capital loan approvals pointed to continued resilience in business borrowing.
CGSI Research said auto loan growth eased to 5.9% y-o-y in May from 6.3% in April, with full-year growth expected to slow further to around 5% amid weaker auto sales.
“Mortgage growth remained steady at 5.6%, while credit card receivables growth softened slightly to 4.6%,” it highlighted.
Approvals of residential mortgages were down by 5.7% y-o-y, while auto loan approvals were down by 20% y-o-y, compared to growth of 14.9% y-o-y, respectively, in April.
The research house added that application for residential mortgages and auto loans dwindled by 0.7% y-o-y and 14.1% y-o-y, respectively, in May.
“Additionally, Malaysia’s banking sector saw a moderate uptick in credit risks, with the gross impaired loan ratio edging up to 1.43% in May from 1.4% in April, driven mainly by mortgages and working capital loans while only partly reflecting higher operating costs from higher oil prices,” CGSI Research said.
It noted banks, however, remain cushioned by RM4.29bil in management overlays, which can be used to offset future provisions, keeping overall credit risk manageable and in line with expectations of a gradual rise to around 1.5% by end-2026.
