KUALA LUMPUR: For the first time, Malaysian Chinese business owners running micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) will have access to a dedicated RM100mil federal financing scheme, opening a new pathway to capital for business expansion, upgrading and long-term growth.
Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Steven Sim said the initiative is part of the ministry’s broader push to make funding more inclusive and easier to access.
“This is a new product. Previously, we had financing schemes for bumiputra entrepreneurs, the Indian community, Sabah and Sarawak, but there was no specific product for Malaysian Chinese businesses,” he said at a press conference after the scheme’s launch at the Bank Rakyat building here yesterday.
The RM100mil allocation has been split between two implementing banks –RM50mil via SME Bank and RM50mil via Bank Rakyat – and will remain available until the end of the year or until the funds are fully utilised, whichever comes first.
Sim said the initiative is intended for existing, operating businesses, rather than startups or “angel” funding.
He added that it is also intended to reach businesses that have not previously obtained loans, while maintaining basic credit and viability requirements.
“We want to provide more resources to the market so businesses can use financing not only as working capital, but also as growth capital to modernise, expand and improve competitiveness,” he said.
Applicants must be established MSMEs, in business for at least two years for SME Bank and three years for Bank Rakyat.
The companies must be Malaysian Chinese-led, either with majority Chinese ownership or a key Chinese executive.
Businesses seeking micro or SME financing through Bank Rakyat must also show a clean credit record, and for larger loans, a track record of profitability and healthy financials.
SME Bank’s Success scheme is open to most sectors except primary agriculture, while Bank Rakyat’s BR Prosper-i programme is broadly available across industries.
Applications can be submitted online or at bank branches, and banks will carry out basic checks, including credit assessments, to ensure the business is financially sound.
“This initiative is about making things simpler for entrepreneurs. It is delivered through formal banking institutions to ensure proper governance, adequate capacity and strong customer support,” Sim said.
The ministry has introduced business process re-engineering to reduce bureaucracy and shorten turnaround times.
Bank Rakyat aims to process applications within two weeks under the initiative, compared with 30 to 40 days for standard business financing, while SME Bank is targeting approval within about a month.
The initiative, he added, forms part of the ministry’s ABCD strategy, with “C” standing for capital accessibility.
The strategy, which also emphasises A: access, B: business development, and D: digitalisation, aims to ensure Malaysian entrepreneurs have greater access to funding to drive business growth and strengthen the economy.
The announcement follows a December move in which Sim raised Tekun Nasional’s 2026 bumiputra financing to RM500mil and boosted funding for Indian entrepreneurs under Spumi to RM50mil.
