Kota Kinabalu: The Government has set aside about RM30 million next year to help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) expand their businesses through financing facilities and capacity-building programmes.
Deputy Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister Datuk Mohamad Alamin said the allocation, under SME Corp Malaysia’s initiative, would provide financial assistance and help entrepreneurs strengthen their business capabilities.
“Under SME Corp’s initiative, the ministry is providing a very large fund. Next year we are setting aside about RM30 million for our entrepreneurs to expand their businesses,” he told reporters after attending the MSME ESG Awareness Seminar 2026 here.
He said RM3 million of the total allocation would go towards capacity-building programmes, while the remaining funds would support financing facilities.
The programmes were aimed at helping MSMEs manage their operations more systematically and improve their competitiveness.
Mohamad also said he would discuss with SME Corp’s chief executive officer and the ministry’s secretary-general a proposal to station existing staff in Sabah and Sarawak to assist entrepreneurs in both states.
“I will discuss with the CEO and the Secretary-General so that we place existing staff for Sabah and Sarawak to help them,” he said.
He said entrepreneurs in Sabah and Sarawak needed appropriate guidance and better access to programmes to help them tap into available business opportunities.
He added that strengthening MSMEs also involved raising awareness of environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices to ensure that business growth took sustainability and good governance into account.
The seminar, themed “ESG Ticket”, urged businesses to understand expectations, face reality and start taking action on ESG practices.
Organised by SME Corp Malaysia in collaboration with Universiti Malaysia Sabah, it attracted more than 250 participants, including MSME operators, government officials, ESG experts, financial institutions, academics and students.
