Under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), the government is prioritising efforts to help micro SMEs (MSMEs) move up the value chain through strategic partnerships with government-linked companies (GLCs).
Finance Minister II and acting Economy Minister Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan said the government would also scale up support through initiatives such as the strategic investment fund, working capital enhancement, project financing and capacity-building programmes.
“The government will support MSMEs through targeted interventions such as logistics systems, certification facilitation, including halal certification and by facilitating better access to export markets,” Amir Hamzah noted.
Beyond the government support, he mentioned that the private funding sector also plays a crucial role in enabling entrepreneurs to innovate and scale their businesses.
Hence, funding institutions must continue to innovate in developing effective solutions and approaches to risk management that keeps up with rapid changes in business and technology.
At the same time, Amir Hamzah believes that Malaysia could move confidently towards becoming a truly innovation-driven economy by embracing creativity, collaboration and technology, while remaining guided by strong values and human purpose.
“Together, we can shape a future where progress is inclusive, sustainable and uniquely our own,” he said, adding that technology not only expands MSMEs’ market reach and visibility but also enhances their entrepreneurial potential.
PNB, GLICs to Develop 10 Bumiputera Champion Firms
Meanwhile Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB), together with other government-linked investment companies (GLICs), is committed to driving the 10 Bumiputera Champions initiative to create 10 companies – each with a market capitalisation or enterprise value of at least RM500 million by 2030.
PNB deputy president and group chief executive Datuk Rick Ramli said this initiative under the Government-linked Enterprises Activation and Reform Programme (GEAR-uP), which forms part of the MADANI Economy agenda, aims to drive sustainable growth and empower the Bumiputera community.
“The GLICs are in the process of evaluating and shortlisting companies for the activation of the support phase.
“Nearly 170 companies have undergone the initial screening and 30 to 40 companies are being scrutinised further to pass through the screening and will be shortlisted to 10 companies in the first quarter of 2026,” he said.
A total of six GLICs are involved, namely PNB, Retirement Fund (Incorporated) (KWAP), the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), Khazanah Nasional Bhd, Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) and the Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT).
According to Rick, the initiative aligns with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s call for GLICs and GLCs to empower Bumiputera economic development under the Bumiputera Economic Transformation Plan 2035 (PuTERA35) to produce five to 10 successful Bumiputera companies.
Under the initiative, PNB and other GLICs will empower the growth of Bumiputera companies by identifying companies with strong fundamentals and potential, supporting them to reach new heights.
This support includes capacity building, facilitating market access through GLIC’s extensive network, providing strategic guidance to accelerate expansion and developing a value-creation plan with management to design a tailored growth strategy that unlocks long-term value.
“Bumiputera companies still face challenges in growing, building capacity, market access, funding and so on. This limits the ability of Bumiputera companies to access the capital market. Hence, not many new Bumiputera companies are listed on Bursa Malaysia,” he explained.
A total of RM40 million has been approved in Budget 2026 to accelerate the scaling-up of high-potential Bumiputera companies.
Rick also mentioned that the target enterprise value of RM500 million is the entry point for the company to be listed on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia.
“At the end of the five-year period, if this initiative is successful, the companies will be at scale and will have the ability to access the capital market and have the potential to be listed through the initial public offering (IPO), through the listing decision will still be up to the management.
“This listing step will enable them to attract new investments from shareholders and the public,” he added.
Source: https://sme.asia/malaysian-govt-to-boost-msme-support-via-glc-partnerships/