KUALA LUMPUR: The Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry held a dialogue session with the SME Association of Malaysia to strengthen collaboration in enhancing the resilience, productivity and global competitiveness of Malaysian small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The session was chaired by Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong and attended by SME Malaysia national president Chin Chee Seong, alongside association leaders and officials from the ministry and SME Corp Malaysia.
During the engagement, Steven Sim reaffirmed the ministry's commitment to SME development through its "ABCD Strategy", which focuses on accelerating productivity and business competitiveness.
The strategy also aims to reduce bureaucratic hurdles and regulatory complexity, improve access to capital and financing channels, and expand both domestic and international market opportunities for SMEs.
He said sustainable SME growth must be anchored in productivity enhancement, scalability and competitiveness, while encouraging businesses to leverage development programmes and financing facilities offered by the ministry and its agencies.
Meanwhile, SME Malaysia reaffirmed its role as a national trade association representing more than 15,000 SMEs nationwide through 11 state and regional branches and 17 specialised industry and functional bureaus.
The association highlighted the need for clear communication, effective programme delivery and structured collaboration between SMEs, policymakers and implementing agencies to ensure government initiatives deliver tangible outcomes.
It also introduced several initiatives aimed at strengthening SME competitiveness, resilience and global reach.
These include nationwide SME economic forums and roadshows, an international economic forum, the Platinum Business Awards 2026, the SME Go Digital Initiative and the National SME Global Acceleration Programme.
Source: https://www.nst.com.my/business/corporate/2026/03/1394719/govt-engages-sme-group-strengthen-ecosystem

