KUALA LUMPUR, 18 December 2025 – Small Medium Enterprise Development Bank Malaysia Berhad (SME Bank) commemorated its 20th anniversary, marking two decades of progress and purpose in building a legacy of transformative entrepreneurial support and national development. Since its establishment in 2005, SME Bank has channelled more than RM50 billion in approved financing to over 26,000 customers nationwide, while empowering more than 90,000 entrepreneurs and strengthening Malaysia’s MSME ecosystem in alignment with Bank Negara Malaysia’s Performance Measurement Framework and the Government’s MADANI economic agenda.
Relief President and Chief Executive Officer, Samad Majid Zain, highlighted that year-to-date in 2025, the Bank has achieved over RM4 billion in approved financing across nearly 700 SMEs, reinforcing its role as one of the nation’s most inclusive and high-impact Development Financial Institutions. He noted that these achievements build upon the RM50 billion approved financing accumulated over the past two decades, underscoring SME Bank’s catalytic role in driving national progress and strengthening Malaysia’s economic competitiveness.
Malaysia is home to 1.08 million MSMEs, representing 96.1% of all business establishments, with micro enterprises accounting for more than 70%. This segment continues to power national growth, contributing RM652.4 billion or 39.5% of GDP in 2024, and SME Bank’s mandate remains clear: to empower the SME ecosystem throughout its lifecycle.
Beyond financing, SME Bank adopts a holistic development approach through its Beyond Financing proposition, delivering targeted capacity-building programmes such as Maju Usahawan MADANI, the Halal Entrepreneurship Development Programme, Program Pembangunan Kapasiti Vendor, and the Business Exports Programme. These initiatives equip entrepreneurs with the skills to scale, modernise, and compete regionally and globally.
In conjunction with this milestone, SME Bank hosted its 20th Anniversary Entrepreneur Awards on 17 December 2025 at the Renaissance Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, honouring eight outstanding MSMEs whose achievements exemplify innovation, resilience, and entrepreneurial excellence.
The winners included Konsortium E-Mutiara Berhad as Entrepreneur of the Year, Ramly Food Processing Sdn Bhd for the Legacy Achievement Award, Evergreen Corporate Sdn Bhd for Sustainability and Innovation, Cybersolution Technologies Sdn Bhd for Digital Transformation, Heng Hiap Industries Sdn Bhd for Export Excellence, Glide Technology Sdn Bhd for the Women Entrepreneur Award, and Bubbles O2 Sdn Bhd together with Sanwa Tours (M) Sdn Bhd as Rising Stars.
Looking ahead, SME Bank will continue to strengthen the MSME ecosystem through targeted financing and capacity-building programmes that enhance competitiveness, resilience, and innovation. This direction is reinforced by the National Budget 2026, which mandates SME Bank to implement strategic national programmes amounting to nearly RM2 billion. Samad emphasised that the Bank will prioritise high-potential sectors, including Bumiputera enterprises, technology and digital adoption, climate-aligned industries, as well as the Halal and tourism ecosystems, to drive sustainable growth and elevate Malaysia’s SME landscape.
