KOTA KINABALU, November 28 – SME Corp. Malaysia, an agency under the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (MEDAC), is providing financial assistance in the form of grants of up to RM250,000 specifically for Bumiputera micro-enterprises in Sabah and Sarawak. This assistance is part of the Micro MADANI Program, channeled through the Bumiputera Enterprise Enhancement Program (BEEP) Plus Sabah and Sarawak, with a total allocation of RM10 million. The Micro MADANI State-Level Tour and Briefing Session was attended by more than 300 participants at the Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Hotel today, with an Opening Speech by YBhg. Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Bernard Giluk Dompok, Chairman of SME Corp. Malaysia.
In his speech, YBhg. Tan Sri Bernard Giluk Dompok stated, “Access to sustainable financing remains a key issue for micro-enterprises, especially micro-companies. Therefore, SME Corp. Malaysia introduced the Micro MADANI Program, providing financial aid to micro-enterprises in the form of grants and loans, as well as vouchers through five (5) main initiatives, namely Micro Business Grants (GPM), Micro Business Financing (Micro Biz Financing – MBF), Youth Micro Business Grants@TUBE (Tunas Usahawan Belia Bumiputera), BEEP Plus Sabah and Sarawak, and PMKS Status Vouchers.” He further added, “As of September 2023, SME Corp. Malaysia has registered a total of 27,054 PMKS (micro, small and medium-sized enterprises) status applicants, with 2,628 PMKS (9.7%) from Borneo, including 1,573 from Sarawak and 1,055 from Sabah.
Through the Micro MADANI Program, financial assistance in the form of RM100 vouchers is also provided for PMKS status registration processing fees. This initiative aims to verify the PMKS status to ensure that beneficiaries are from the micro-enterprise category. Explaining further about the BEEP Plus Sabah and Sarawak initiative, Tan Sri Bernard Giluk Dompok mentioned that it is specifically implemented to assist micro-enterprises, especially the original Bumiputera, through matching grants of up to 70 percent of project costs or a maximum of RM250,000 for capacity-building purposes. This includes the acquisition of machinery and equipment, product packaging improvements, ICT & e-commerce implementation, business premises rental and renovation, and promotional activities to boost sales and branding.
YBrs. Mr. Rizal bin Nainy, Chief Executive Officer of SME Corp. Malaysia, announced that applications for the Micro MADANI Program have been open since its launch on September 20. Prior to Sabah, SME Corp. Malaysia conducted several tour series in the East Coast, Northern and Southern regions of Peninsular Malaysia, as well as in Sarawak. More information about the Micro MADANI program and online application facilities can be accessed through SME Corp. Malaysia’s website at http://smecorp.gov.my/MIKROMADANI. Also present at the Micro MADANI State-Level Tour and Briefing Session in Sabah were Mr. Tseu Kei Yue, Director of Industrial Development and Research Department (DIDR), Mr. Sudirman Mohd Alwi, Head of Sabah Region, Malaysian Industrial Development Finance Berhad (MIDF), and Mr. Valentine Thomas, Director of SME Corp. Malaysia, Sabah Office.
