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New Straits Times
18 hours ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
5,735 entrepreneurs empowered by SME Bank programmes
KUALA LUMPUR: Small Medium Enterprise Development Bank Malaysia Bhd (SME Bank), a subsidiary of Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Bhd, has empowered 5,735 entrepreneurs in the first half of the year. This is more than double the 2,225 entrepreneurs supported during the same period last year. Acting president and chief executive officer Datuk Dr Mohammad Hardee Ibrahim said the achievement was enabled through the Centre for Entrepreneur Development and Research (CEDAR), which is the bank's capacity-building and training arm. Among the beyond financing programmes entrusted to SME Bank is the Maju Usahawan Madani programme, which was introduced to strengthen the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) ecosystem. Hardee said the programme aims to assist 3,000 micro entrepreneurs until March next year. Up to June, 1,632 entrepreneurs have benefited from the initiative, including MSMEs from the Bumiputera community, youth, rural areas, Bottom 40 income group, asnaf (hardcore poor), senior citizens and persons with disabilities. CEDAR has also been appointed as an Asean Centre of Excellence for MSMEs in Green Transition, a recognition listed among the Priority Economic Deliverables under Malaysia's Asean chairmanship. "This milestone affirms SME Bank's leadership in shaping a more sustainable and inclusive future for enterprises, both at home and across Asean," he said. Meanwhile, the Halal Entrepreneurship Development Programme has supported over 400 participants since 2023, and the Program Pembangunan Kapasiti Vendor has onboarded 109 participants with RM15.87 million worth of incentives. The business exports programme has facilitated RM191.93 million in export sales through the onboarding of 98 companies across key global markets. The programme is a structured intervention funded by the Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Ministry in collaboration with the Malaysia External Trade Development Corp. It has also generated 182 new jobs, enabled 314 entrepreneurs to adopt new technologies and facilitated the creation of 224 business networks. SME Bank said it will continue to play a pivotal role in advancing the MSME agenda with RM1 billion worth of strategic initiatives. They include delivering both financing and beyond financing support for Bumiputera entrepreneurship, technology and innovation, ESG adoption, the halal economy and tourism.
The Star
a day ago
- Business
- The Star
SME Bank empowers 5,735 entrepreneurs in 1H25, up 158%
SME Bank acting group president/chief executive officer Datuk Mohammad Hardee Ibrahim. KUALA LUMPUR: Small Medium Enterprise Development Bank Malaysia (SME Bank) has empowered 5,735 entrepreneurs in the first half of 2025 (1H 2025), an increase of 158 per cent against the 2,225 entrepreneurs recorded in 1H 2024. In a statement today, the subsidiary of Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Bhd said the achievement was driven by its dedicated capacity-building and training arm, the Centre for Entrepreneur Development and Research (CEDAR), which serves as the lead implementer. SME Bank acting president and chief executive officer Datuk Dr Mohammad Hardee Ibrahim said that among the beyond-financing programmes entrusted to the bank was the Maju Usahawan MADANI programme, introduced to strengthen the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) ecosystem through targeted capacity-building. "Spanning from January 2025 to March 2026, the programme aims to assist 3,000 micro-entrepreneurs. As of June 2025, a total of 1,632 entrepreneurs have benefited from this initiative, including MSMEs from the Bumiputera community, youth, rural areas, the bottom 40 per cent (B40) income group, Asnaf, senior citizens and persons with disabilities. "On the regional stage, CEDAR has also been appointed ASEAN's Centre of Excellence for MSMEs in Green Transition, a recognition listed among the Priority Economic Deliverables for Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025. This affirms SME Bank's leadership in shaping a more sustainable and inclusive future for enterprises, both domestically and across ASEAN,' he said. Meanwhile, SME Bank said the Halal Entrepreneurship Development Programme has supported over 400 participants since its launch in 2023, and the Program Pembangunan Kapasiti Vendor has onboarded 109 vendors with RM15.87 million in approved incentives. "As of 2024, 28 per cent of the vendors recorded at least a five per cent increase in revenue, contributing to total vendor revenue of RM1.23 billion. "The Business Exports Programme, a structured intervention programme funded by the Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development and in collaboration with the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation, has facilitated RM191.93 million in export sales through the onboarding of 98 companies across five phases,' it added. The SME Bank XCESS, the bank's flagship business matching platform, continues to serve as a conduit for Malaysian SMEs to access international markets, with this year's edition, XCESS 2025, scheduled for Sept 25, 2025, in Kuala Lumpur, it said. Complementing this, the SME Bank iTEKAD ISHRAF, a structured Asnaf entrepreneurship empowerment programme under Bank Negara Malaysia's iTEKAD initiative, has collectively recorded a 126 per cent increase in sales, amounting to RM19.25 million. The programme has also generated 182 new jobs and enabled 314 entrepreneurs to adopt new technologies and facilitated the creation of 224 business networks. Looking ahead, SME Bank said it will continue to play a pivotal role in advancing the MSME agenda, with over RM1 billion in strategic initiatives mandated to the bank under the National Budget 2025, including delivering both financing and beyond-financing support across key strategic sectors. - Bernama
New Straits Times
a day ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
SME Bank empowers over 5,730 entrepreneurs in first six months of 2025
KUALA LUMPUR: Small Medium Enterprise Development Bank Malaysia (SME Bank), a subsidiary of Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Bhd, has empowered 5,735 entrepreneurs in the first half of 2025. This is more than double the 2,225 entrepreneurs supported during the same period in 2024. Acting president and chief executive officer Datuk Dr Mohammad Hardee Ibrahim said the achievement was supported by the bank's capacity building and training arm the Centre for Entrepreneur Development and Research (CEDAR). Among the beyond financing programmes entrusted to SME Bank is the Maju Usahawan Madani programme, which was introduced to strengthen the MSME ecosystem through targeted capacity-building, he said in a statement. Mohammad Hardee said between January 2025 and March 2026, the programme aims to assist 3,000 micro entrepreneurs. As of June, a total of 1,632 entrepreneurs benefited from the initiative, including MSMEs from the Bumiputera community, youth, rural areas, B40 income group, Asnaf, senior citizens and persons with disabilities. CEDAR has also been appointed Asean's Centre of Excellence for MSMEs in Green Transition, a recognition listed among the Priority Economic Deliverables for Malaysia's Asean chairmanship in 2025. "This milestone affirms SME Bank's leadership in shaping a more sustainable and inclusive future for enterprises, both at home and across Asean," he said. Meanwhile, the Halal Entrepreneurship Development Programme has supported over 400 participants since its launch in 2023, while the Program Pembangunan Kapasiti Vendor has onboarded 109 vendors with RM15.87 million incentives approved. The Business Exports Programme has facilitated RM191.93 million in export sales through the onboarding of 98 companies across key global markets. The programme is a structured intervention programme funded by the Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Ministry and in collaboration with the Malaysia External Trade Development Corp. The programme has also generated 182 new jobs, enabled 314 entrepreneurs to adopt new technologies and facilitated the creation of 224 business networks. SME Bank said it will continue to play a pivotal role in advancing the MSME agenda with over RM1 billion strategic initiatives mandated to the bank under the National Budget 2025. This includes delivering both financing and beyond financing support across key strategic sectors such as Bumiputera entrepreneurship, technology and innovation, ESG adoption, the halal economy and tourism.
Malaysia Sun
26-06-2025
- Business
- Malaysia Sun
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)
New Straits Times
26-06-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
SME Bank integration yields synergies, unveils RM211mil initiatives for MSMEs
KUALA LUMPUR: The integration of Small Medium Enterprise Development Bank Malaysia Bhd (SME Bank) with two other entities has proven to be a strategic success, fostering strong synergies and enhancing the bank's capacity to support micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across the country. "The integration has been very positive so far. Starting from the legal processes, we are now developing the business framework. The synergy among the three entities is evident," said SME Bank acting group president and chief executive officer Datuk Dr Mohammad Hardee Ibrahim. Although it is still too early to quantify specific cost savings, he noted that tangible benefits from resource sharing are expected to emerge by 2026. For now, each entity will continue operating under its own budget until the end of 2028. In tandem with the integration efforts, SME Bank has launched RM211 million worth of new strategic programmes aligned with the government's MADANI economic framework. These initiatives aim to boost the inclusivity, resilience, and sustainability of Malaysia's MSME ecosystem. The launch was officiated by Finance Minister II, Senator Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan, alongside Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick. Targeting high-impact areas such as technology, tourism, halal industries, and ESG-focused businesses, the programmes also place strong emphasis on empowering underserved communities, particularly B40 and Asnaf entrepreneurs, to ensure broader participation in economic development. These initiatives represent a significant step in revitalising the MSME sector, said Hardee, adding that the programmes form part of SME Bank's RM1 billion strategic allocation under the upcoming National Budget 2025. Key programmes include MySMELady 2.0, which offers up to RM3 million financing to support women entrepreneurs in expanding operations, boosting productivity, and enhancing market competitiveness; Umbrella Ecosystem Financing, offering up to RM1 million in funding to assist Bumiputera MSMEs and startups; and Dana Kelestarian Alam, allocating up to RM5 million in green financing for MSMEs involved in renewable energy, energy efficiency, green building, and sustainable transportation projects. Maju Usahawan Madani aims to support 3,000 entrepreneurs with skills for sustainable growth, while SME Bank iTEKAD ISHRAF targets to increase sales by at least 10 per cent for 400 B40 and Asnaf entrepreneurs through training and resources. As of May 2025, SME Bank has already approved RM2 billion in financing and is on track to meet its RM3 billion financing target for the year, Hardee said. Beyond the new programmes, SME Bank continues to roll out a range of existing financing solutions such as the SME Technology Transformation Fund, HalalBiz Financing, and the Business Accelerator Programme under RMK-12.
