Government-linked SME Bank rolls out 50 mln USD to boost high-impact sectors in Malaysia
Xinhua
26 Jun 2025, 14:45 GMT+10
KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian government-owned Small Medium Enterprise Development Bank Malaysia Berhad (SME Bank) announced on Thursday a suite of strategic initiatives valued at 211 million ringgit (49.94 million U.S. dollars), reinforcing its commitment to advancing the government's MADANI economic framework and in alignment with the bank's mandate under the National Budget 2025.
Focusing on high-impact sectors such as technology, tourism, halal, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG), these initiatives also promote inclusivity by empowering low-income group and Islamic entrepreneurs, reinforcing the bank's role in building a resilient and future-ready micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) ecosystem, the bank said in a statement.
"In line with our developmental mandate, we are pleased to inject more excitement in the MSME sector with the launch of new program, forming part of the strategic initiatives exceeding 1 billion ringgit entrusted to SME Bank under the National Budget 2025," said Mohammad Hardee Ibrahim, acting group president/chief executive officer of SME Bank.
Riding on this positive momentum, he said the bank remains firmly on track to achieve its 3 billion ringgit approved financing target for this year with continued emphasis on key strategic sectors. (1 ringgit equals 0.24 U.S. dollar)
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Star
23 minutes ago
- The Star
Guarded trade outlook seen in 2H25
PETALING JAYA: Economists continue to express cautious optimism on Malaysia's external trade environment, as the Statistics Department's latest release of May's trade figures showed that the export unit value index has nudged down 1.5% year-on-year (y-o-y) to 148 points. Likewise, Malaysia's import unit value index also registered a fall of 1.1% to 124.8 points, while the country's terms of trade (TOT) also declined by 0.5% month-on-month to 118.6 points in May. TOT is defined as the ratio between a country's export prices and its import prices, essentially indicating how much of a country's imports can be purchased with a unit of its exports. A favourable TOT means a country can obtain more imports for the same amount of exports, potentially boosting its economy. Chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin pointed out that the decrease in export unit value was primarily driven by the declines in the index of mineral fuels, animal and vegetable oils and fats, as well as machinery and transport equipment. 'Likewise, the export volume index dropped by 3.7% in line with the decrease in the index of mineral fuels, as well as machinery and transport equipment. 'The seasonally adjusted export volume index also dropped by 2.7% to 166.1 points,' he said in a statement yesterday. Senior economist at UOB Julia Goh highlighted that May's external trade numbers had come in weaker than the market's and her expectations, suggesting early signs of normalisation for exports following some front-loading activities. She said the data also affirmed Bank Negara governor Datuk Seri Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour's citation last month that the front-loading of exports will likely normalise in the coming months when the inventories are drawn down and trade flows stabilise. 'However, the weakness of non-electrical and electronic exports particularly across other manufactured goods and the mining sector signal broader weakening trends. 'The fragile cease-fire between Iran and Israel could hold in the near-term, although there is still much uncertainty as a re-escalation could potentially disrupt oil supplies and global supply chains which would weigh on Malaysia's trade,' Goh told StarBiz. Pending clarity on the United States tariffs and geopolitical developments in the Middle East, she is maintaining her export growth forecast for 2025 at 3.8% at the moment. Meanwhile, the Statistic Department also reported that Malaysia's total trade for May amounted to RM252.5bil, with exports and imports recording RM126.6bil and RM125.9bil, respectively. Mohd Uzir revealed that exports had dipped 1.1% y-o-y, attributed to lower exports in most Malaysian states including Johor, Kedah, Sarawak and Kuala Lumpur, although notably Penang, Selangor and Melaka saw an increase in exports. Penang remains the country's top exporter, accounting for 36.2% of exports, while Selangor dominated imports with a share of 29.2%. May's total trade figures show that the trade balance stands at only RM700mil, which economist Geoffrey Williams deemed as 'very tight'. Echoing Goh's views, he acknowledged the presence of significant external volatilities, in addition to the effect from front-loading due to US tariffs. '(Trade) figures for the second quarter were expected to contract sharply and this is what we are seeing. 'The Middle East issues now pose another threat especially if trade routes and supply-chains are disrupted. This will slow down trade and hold back recovery in 2H25,' he said. Nevertheless, Williams reiterated that the more serious issue is not so much the external volatility, but the long-term trend with the trade balance generally declining since August 2023. 'Taking the volatility out it looks like this trend is continuing and this will squeeze growth this year and next year,' he added. On the external front, Asia Pacific economist at credit insurer Coface Nouri Chatillon opined that global economic fragility and increasing trade restrictions are compounded by rising tensions in the Middle East, which is likely to dampen global demand, skewing Malaysia's trade performance outlook negatively going forward. Chatillon said the ceasefire between Israel and Iran had already seen pockets of breaching, although he maintained that further breaches are unlikely to directly and significantly disrupt Malaysia's exports, as the Middle East only accounts for around 3% of Malaysia's total exports. 'However, if Iran were to close the Strait of Hormuz, global energy prices could rise, which could impact global demand and consequently Malaysia's exports. 'Additionally, as Malaysia's oil and natural gas production is not sufficient to meet domestic demand, it relies on imported crude oil and refined petroleum from Middle Eastern countries that use the Strait of Hormuz. 'This could lead to higher energy import prices for Malaysia,' he told StarBiz. Having said that, Chatillon pointed out that despite the Iranian parliament having voted in favour of blockading the Strait of Hormuz, approval from the Supreme National Security Council remains uncertain given the self-damaging economic consequences of such a decision. Meanwhile, despite concurring that Malaysia's external trade in 2H25 is likely to face headwinds from Middle East tensions, particularly through volatile energy prices and supply chain disruptions, an economist with a foreign research firm said growth in import volumes and resilience in key states like Penang and Selangor suggest potential for recovery if global conditions stabilise. She was referring to the Statistics Department's report that the export volume index had edged up by 0.4% y-o-y in May, as import volume index had also increased by 11.8%. 'Diversifying export markets within Asean and leveraging Malaysia's top ranking in the Open Data Inventory 2024/2025 report for data-driven trade strategies could mitigate risks,' said the economist. She added that the ceasefire in the Middle East, if upheld, would likely have a positive impact on Malaysia's external trade by stabilising energy prices, reducing supply chain costs and boosting global demand. Exports, particularly in machinery and transport equipment and palm oil, could see volume recovery, while lower import costs for mineral fuels and industrial inputs would support manufacturing. The economist projected that a truce would reduce disruptions in global shipping routes, lowering costs for Malaysia's trade logistics, while reduced geopolitical risk could boost confidence in Malaysia's key export markets such as China, Singapore, and the United States, supporting export growth in electronics and commodities. 'However, the extent of these benefits depends on the ceasefire's stability and global economic responses,' she cautioned.


The Star
28 minutes ago
- The Star
China, Europe look to strengthen cooperation on ESG promotion
STUTTGART, Germany, June 26 (Xinhua) -- The concept of ESG, short for environmental, social, and governance, plays such an important role for the climate target across the globe, and strengthened cooperation between China and Europe is a must for further ESG applications, a conference held here on Wednesday and Thursday highlighted. Initiated by the Chinese General Consulate in Frankfurt and co-organized by Xinhuanet and other Chinese and German organizations, the second Sino-European Corporate ESG Best Practices Conference is held here with aim to pay tribute to the companies that have fared well in putting the ESG concept into practice and promote further cooperation between Chinese and European companies in this regard. ESG is no longer an add-on, but a strategic element of modern corporate management. It helps identify risks early, set standards, and build long-term, stable partnerships, said Thorsten Giehler, head of Economy, Employment, Social Development of Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, a service provider for international cooperation for sustainable development and international educational work. Giehler called on stakeholders to work on clear, practical rules which can provide guidance and planning security to facilitate the application of ESG. Huang Yiyang, Chinese Consul General in Frankfurt, believed that the function of ESG should go well beyond a technical jargon and be considered as a solution for the future. As staunch defenders of the ideas of multilateralism, open cooperation and green transformation, China and Europe should stand out and join hands to provide leadership and confidence for the global cause of ESG at a time of rising uncertainties, Huang stressed in a speech made on Wednesday night. As a co-organizer of the conference, Xinhuanet intends to boost the dissemination and applications of the ESG concept among Chinese and European companies, Chu Xuejun, chairman of the board of Xinhuanet Co., Ltd. told Xinhua. It will not only be beneficial for China and Europe to achieve a win-win result in green transformation, but also set a solid stage for further and deeper economic and trade cooperation between the two sides, Chu added. With a case detailing the joint initiative with Air China, the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Technical Pathway Challenge for Chinese Universities, Airbus Germany turned out to be one of the winners at the conference. "This recognition highlights both the project's impact and the strong partnership between China and the EU," said Anna Lisa Junge on behalf of Airbus Germany. "Today's recognition inspires us to go further. We look forward to deepening our cooperation with Air China and other partners, advancing SAF and broader ESG practices -- in China, and for the globe." ESG application cases in areas including environment protection, social responsibility, corporate management, scientific and technological innovation, education and training, and other ESG-related innovative practices, have been submitted to the conference for review by a committee consisting of Chinese and European experts. The two-day event also featured CEO dialogues, application case study, discussions and roadshows, with leading Chinese and European companies looking to explore the possibility of putting the ESG concept into better mass practices.


The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Over 20 research projects at UK universities halted after U.S. funding withdrawal
LONDON, June 26 (Xinhua) -- More than 20 projects at Russell Group institutions, an association of 24 leading universities in Britain, have been halted following the withdrawal of U.S. funding, local media reported Wednesday. At least nine research projects at Russell Group universities have received formal stop notices from the U.S. government, according to Research Professional News (RPN), a London-based outlet. These notices, requiring a halt to work due to funding suspension, have resulted in either grant cancellations or suspensions at five Russell Group institutions. Information requests submitted by RPN to all Russell Group institutions revealed that a further 14 projects lost funding after receiving similar notices from their U.S. collaborators. One researcher whose project was delayed told RPN that they "felt like their funding had been used as a pawn." In some instances, British universities were notified by U.S.-based lead researchers who had awarded funding to their British collaborators, only to later inform them that the grants had been terminated.