THE federal government has deployed a massive RM9.8 billion funding pool through six major financial institutions to radically broaden credit accessibility for micro-entrepreneurs and street vendors across the country.
Deputy Finance Minister Liew Chin Tong revealed that the multi-billion ringgit allocation is being systematically channeled through Bank Simpanan Nasional, Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia, Bank Rakyat, TEKUN Nasional, Agrobank, and Majlis Amanah Rakyat.
Speaking at the fourth edition of the Micro Credit Turun Padang outreach programme held at the Dataran Puchong Permai Farmers Market, Liew emphasised that Putrajaya is actively refining its grassroots financial frameworks to ensure low-income traders can secure the capital necessary to scale up their operations.
"This programme has been implemented for a long time and we hope it can be repaired and improved so that more hawkers can get access to micro credit. I also hope this visit can give an injection of spirit to the institutions involved and we can find a way so that more hawkers get access to micro financing," Liew stated.
The deputy minister explained that the nationwide outreach initiative functions as an essential regulatory feedback mechanism, enabling the Treasury to directly evaluate the real-world efficiency of state-backed financing schemes while studying the evolving requirements of informal sector traders on the ground.
Demonstrating the immediate impact of the funding framework, twelve localized micro-vendors at the Dataran Puchong Permai Farmers Market successfully secured immediate loan approvals during the event, comprising seven recipients under Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia, three via Bank Simpanan Nasional, and two through Agrobank.
The Puchong assembly marks the strategic expansion of an ongoing ministerial campaign to audit and accelerate grassroots capital injection, building upon previous successful field evaluations conducted at the Taman Melawati, Kelana Jaya, and Bandar Tasik Permaisuri farmers markets. - June 21, 2026
