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SME BANK ROLLS OUT RM211 MILLION NEW STRATEGIC INITIATIVES TO ACCELERATE MADANI ECONOMIC FRAMEWORK

Kuala Lumpur: 26 June 2025

KUALA LUMPUR: 26 June 2025 – Small Medium Enterprise Development Bank Malaysia Berhad ("SME Bank") today announced a suite of strategic initiatives valued at RM211 million, reinforcing its commitment to advancing the Government’s MADANI economic framework and aligning with the Bank’s mandate under the National Budget 2025.

Focused on high-impact sectors such as Technology, Tourism, Halal, and ESG, these initiatives also promote inclusivity by empowering B40 and ASNAF entrepreneurs, reinforcing SME Bank’s role in building a resilient and future-ready MSME ecosystem.

Datuk Dr. Mohammad Hardee Ibrahim, Acting Group President/Chief Executive Officer of SME Bank said, “In line with our developmental mandate, we are pleased to inject more excitement in the MSME sector with the launch of new programmes, forming part of the strategic initiatives exceeding RM1 billion entrusted to SME Bank under the National Budget 2025. These initiatives, including the MySMELady 2.0, Umbrella Ecosystem Financing, Dana Kelestarian Alam, and Maju Usahawan Madani demonstrate our comprehensive approach to nation-building and our commitment to strengthening the national entrepreneurial landscape.

Additionally, we are also proud to roll out the fourth edition of the SME Bank iTEKAD ISHRAF (“ISHRAF 4.0”), a beyond financing initiative designed to equip the B40 and ASNAF entrepreneurs with the knowledge, skills and resources needed to sustain and grow their businesses.”

“Riding on this positive momentum, we remain firmly on track to achieve our RM3 billion approved financing target for this year with continued emphasis on key strategic sectors with RM2 billion already recorded as of May 2025. These achievements reaffirm our sustained role in fostering MSME development, in alignment with the Government’s MADANI vision to build a more inclusive, resilient and future-ready Malaysia,” he added.

The launch ceremony was officiated by YB Senator Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan, Finance Minister II, Ministry of Finance Malaysia and YB Datuk Ewon Benedick, Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (MECD) Malaysia. Also in attendance were Dato’ Muslim Hussain, Chairman of SME Bank, and Datuk Dr. Mohammad Hardee Ibrahim, Acting Group President/Chief Executive Officer of SME Bank.

The newly introduced financing programmes are designed to address specific needs across key sectors and entrepreneurial segments, ensuring broader access to capital and targeted support for business growth.

New Financing Programmes

No.	Programme	Description	Focus Area
1	MySMELady 2.0	Empowering women entrepreneurs with dedicated financing to enhance production capacity, market penetration, and competitiveness. Purpose: Asset acquisition and/or working capital Financing Limit: RM100,000 up to RM3 million Profit Rate: 5% p.a. Tenure: Up to 5 years	Women entrepreneurs under micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs)
2	Umbrella Ecosystem Financing	Supporting Bumiputera entrepreneurs, including start-ups, to initiate or diversify business operations. Purpose: Asset acquisition and/or working capital Financing Limit: RM50,000 up to RM1 million Profit Rate: 4% p.a. Tenure: Up to 7 years	Bumiputera MSMEs, including start-ups, in all sectors
3	Dana Kelestarian Alam	Financing to support transition toward low-carbon and sustainable operations. Purpose: Asset acquisition and/or working capital Financing Limit: RM100,000 up to RM5 million Profit Rate: From 3.5% to 6% p.a. Tenure: Up to 7 years	MSMEs in sectors such as renewable energy, green buildings, clean transportation, and energy efficiency

New Capacity-Building Programmes

No.	Programme	Description	Focus Area
4	Maju Usahawan Madani (via CEDAR)	Capacity-building and training for approximately 3,000 entrepreneurs, aligned with MADANI principles.	Entrepreneurs across sectors
5	SME Bank iTEKAD ISHRAF 4.0	Social finance initiative aimed at helping around 400 entrepreneurs from B40 and Asnaf groups to sustain and grow their businesses, with at least 10% sales increase target.	B40 and Asnaf group entrepreneurs