Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) welcomes the announcement by Prime Minister YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the 2026 New Year Message on the additional allocation for BNM’s Fund for SMEs (BNM’s Fund), and the introduction of a credit guarantee scheme.

As announced, an additional RM2.5 billion will be provided under BNM’s Fund, with a focus on channelling these funds to first-time borrowers. To date, BNM has made available RM32.4 billion in concessional financing to support access to financing for SMEs through participating financial institutions, particularly viable micro and small enterprises that face financing constraints. The upsize increases the total allocation under BNM’s Fund to RM34.9 billion.

Moving forward, BNM will transition towards guarantee-based support, targeting guaranteed financing amounting to RM10 billion. The transition to credit guarantee schemes aims to deliver higher impact by benefitting a wider segment of SMEs, including first-time borrowers and new entrepreneurial activities. The scheme will be implemented in collaboration with Credit Guarantee Corporation Malaysia Berhad (CGC) and financial institutions.