SME Bank and Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) have entered into a strategic partnership to support the development of Malaysian entrepreneurs.
The initiative aims to improve entrepreneurs’ access to financing, capacity building, and digital tools, reinforcing the role of Development Financial Institutions in national development.
SME Bank’s digital platforms, which include ScoreXcess, ELSA, and ODELA, have supported nearly 5,000 SMEs from 2021 to 2024 across various sectors.
Operated by its training and capacity-building arm, the Centre for Entrepreneur Development and Research (CEDAR), the ScoreXcess platform acts as a one-stop portal for small and micro financing.
As part of the collaboration, BSN’s microfinance customers will now be able to access these tools.
So far, ScoreXcess has facilitated 89 applications amounting to RM3.2 million in financing requests.
The collaboration, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding, aligns with the MADANI economic framework and the National Entrepreneurship Framework.
Datuk Dr Mohammad Hardee Ibrahim, Acting Group President/Chief Executive Officer of SME Bank, said,
“Our financing and beyond financing support include the Technology and Digital segment, through our SME Technology Transformation Fund (STTF) as well as the Pembiayaan Ekosistem Payung, a tailored financing solution to build resilience and scale within a guided ecosystem.
We are also proud to mobilise Bank Negara Malaysia’s High Tech & Green Facility (HTG) to help SMEs grow in strategic and sustainable sectors.”
The MoU was exchanged by Hamdan Mohd Habibollah, Acting Chief Corporate Strategy Officer of SME Bank, and Mujibburrahman Abd Rashid, Deputy Chief Executive of BSN during the Karnival BSN Mikro Madani – Zon Pantai Timur.
