KUALA LUMPUR: The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) is expanding capital market financing access for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and mid-tier companies (MTCs) in Sabah.
The initiative aims to support business expansion and growth by providing access to financing options, from early-stage funding to public listings.
SC chairman Datuk Mohammad Faiz Azmi said the initiative supports the SC's Capital Market Masterplan 2026-2030, which aims to build a more inclusive and resilient capital market.
"We have seen this reflected through MyCIF, which has catalysed RM7.7 billion in fundraising for more than 11,500 MSMEs since 2019 as well as NIMP CoSIF, which has facilitated over RM243 million in public-private fundraising since its launch last year.
"These initiatives demonstrate how market-based financing can support businesses at different stages of growth," he said at the Kembara Borneo-Sabah roadshow themed "Enterprise to Expansion" today.
The one-day event was graced by Sabah Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun.
About 200 representatives from business associations, government agencies, capital market intermediaries and the entrepreneurial community attended the event.
Faiz said a new strategic co-investment fund was planned for next year, in collaboration with the Economy Ministry, to support high-growth, high-value sectors under the 13th Malaysia Plan.
The initiative aims to attract private capital, expand financing access for smaller businesses and support national strategic priorities.
"The roadshow is integral to the SC's national outreach to raise awareness of such financing opportunities.
"Concurrently, it provides Sabah entrepreneurs practical insight into how alternative financing platforms and co-investment funds can fuel their growth," said Faiz.
The Malaysia Co-Investment Fund (MyCIF) is a public-private initiative managed by the SC, where it partners with private investors to co-invest in MSMEs using peer-to-peer (P2P) financing and equity crowdfunding (ECF) platforms.
The NIMP CoSIF (New Industrial Master Plan 2030 Strategic Co-Investment Fund) is a RM131.5 million joint initiative launched by the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry and the SC on Feb 25, 2025, which aims to support MSMEs and mid-tier companies in high-impact and strategic manufacturing sectors.
MSMEs contributed about 40 per cent of Malaysia's gross domestic product (GDP) and nearly 50 per cent of total employment in 2025.
Sabah was selected for the roadshow due to the growth potential of its key sectors, including agriculture, tourism and manufacturing.
Agriculture accounted for 13.9 per cent of Sabah's GDP in 2025, while manufacturing grew five per cent and attracted RM7.6 billion in investments.
Tourism also remained a key driver of the services sector, which accounts for more than half of Sabah's economy.
The series began in Penang in August, connecting semiconductor businesses and their supply chains with financing opportunities through equity crowdfunding and peer-to-peer financing platforms.
The next roadshow is scheduled to take place in Selangor by year-end.
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