SME BANK RECORDS APPROXIMATELY RM4.3 BILLION APPROVED FINANCING IN 2025 TO ACCELERATE MSME GROWTH

KUALA LUMPUR, April 1 (Bernama) -- Small Medium Enterprise Development Bank Malaysia Berhad (“SME Bank” or “the Bank”) recorded a strong performance for 2025, with total approved financing of approximately RM4.3 billion, marking a 19% year-on-year increase. The growth reflected sustained demand across key strategic sectors including Bumiputera development, technology and innovation, digital adoption, climate-resilient initiatives, the halal industry, and tourism, in alignment with Bank Negara Malaysia’s (“BNM”) Performance Measurement Framework (“PMF”) and the MADANI Economic Framework.

Samad Majid Zain, Relief President/Chief Executive Officer of SME Bank, said “SME Bank’s performance in 2025 reaffirms our developmental mandate in strengthening Malaysia’s MSME ecosystem. Total approved financing grew 19% year-on-year to approximately RM4.3 billion, with approximately RM3.8 billion channelled to MSMEs, representing approximately 20% increase from the previous year, while more than 60% of customers secured financing of RM1 million and below, underscoring our continued focus on widening access for underserved and unserved entrepreneurs. This progress is further reinforced by the Government’s trust in the Bank, with close to RM2 billion in strategic initiatives mandated under National Budget 2026 to accelerate inclusive MSME growth and strengthen enterprise resilience across the economy.”
 
“Beyond financing, SME Bank delivered integrated solutions encompassing capacity building and targeted advisory support. In 2025, the Bank supported more than 14,500 entrepreneurs through our overall developmental, social and financial inclusion initiatives. These efforts support the continued strengthening of Malaysia’s MSME ecosystem, which contributes close to 40% of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (“GDP”), equivalent to more than RM650 billion in economic value, underscoring the sector’s critical role in driving inclusive growth, employment and economic resilience,” he added.               
 
STRENGTHENING MSME CAPABILITIES, ADVANCING MARKET ACCESS AND DRIVING INCLUSIVE GROWTH
 
SME Bank advances its developmental mandate through targeted interventions that build stronger enterprises, reinforce business resilience and widen market opportunities, particularly among underserved segments of the economy. In doing so, capacity building initiatives, social finance solutions and export acceleration programmes help drive income growth, encourage digital adoption and strengthen the competitiveness of Malaysian businesses. Building on these efforts, the Bank also supports the expansion of the halal economy by enabling enterprises to attain certification standards, integrate into halal value chains and capture growing global demand. Complementing these initiatives, international business matching platforms connect local companies with overseas buyers, facilitating greater cross-border trade opportunities.
 
Collectively, these initiatives reinforce the MSME ecosystem by advancing sustainable business growth, productivity, value creation and job creation, in line with the outcomes of the PMF to drive inclusive economic development nationwide. For more information, visit www.smebank.com.my.
 
(A summary of SME Bank’s overall beyond financing and developmental initiatives and their respective achievements is provided in Appendix 1)  

https://go.smebank.com.my/4lXAYQE  

Issued by:
SME Bank Strategic Communication

SOURCE: SME Bank

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: 
Name: Arnee Ismail
Head, Strategic Communication
SME Bank
Tel: +603 2603 7700
Email: communications@smebank.com.my 

--BERNAMA