Malaysia’s Securities Commission Takes Capital Market Financing Drive to Sabah’s Small Businesses
SC launches capital market financing drive for Sabah MSMEs via Kembara Borneo roadshow. Access RM7.7B in funding through MyCIF, ECF, and co-investment funds.
The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) is broadening access to capital market financing for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and mid-tier companies (MTCs) in Sabah, the regulator announced at the Kembara Borneo-Sabah roadshow on 14 October 2026. The one-day event, themed “Enterprise to Expansion,” drew about 200 representatives from business associations, government agencies, capital market intermediaries and the entrepreneurial community.
SC chairman Datuk Mohammad Faiz Azmi said the initiative is aligned with the regulator’s Capital Market Masterplan 2026-2030, which targets a more inclusive and resilient capital market. The programme aims to give businesses access to financing options spanning the full growth curve, from early-stage funding through to public listings.
Billions Already Mobilised Through Existing Funds
Faiz pointed to two existing instruments as evidence that market-based financing can serve businesses at different stages. The Malaysia Co-Investment Fund (MyCIF) — a public-private initiative managed by the SC that co-invests in MSMEs through peer-to-peer (P2P) financing and equity crowdfunding (ECF) platforms — has catalysed RM7.7 billion in fundraising for more than 11,500 MSMEs since 2019, according to Faiz.
The NIMP CoSIF, a RM131.5 million joint initiative launched by the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry and the SC on 25 February 2025, has facilitated over RM243 million in public-private fundraising since its launch. The fund targets MSMEs and mid-tier companies in high-impact and strategic manufacturing sectors under the New Industrial Master Plan 2030.
Faiz also announced that a new strategic co-investment fund is planned for next year, developed in collaboration with the Economy Ministry to support high-growth, high-value sectors under the 13th Malaysia Plan. The fund is intended to attract private capital, widen financing access for smaller businesses, and advance national strategic priorities.
The roadshow was attended by Sabah Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun.
Why Sabah Was Chosen
The SC said Sabah was selected for the roadshow because of the growth potential of its key economic sectors. Agriculture accounted for 13.9 per cent of Sabah’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2025, while manufacturing grew five per cent and attracted RM7.6 billion in investments during the same period. Tourism remains a significant driver of the services sector, which accounts for more than half of Sabah’s economy.
At the national level, MSMEs contributed approximately 40 per cent of Malaysia’s GDP and nearly 50 per cent of total employment in 2025, according to the source.
Faiz said the roadshow series is central to the SC’s national outreach effort, providing entrepreneurs with practical insight into how alternative financing platforms and co-investment funds can support business growth.
Next Stop: Selangor
The Kembara Borneo-Sabah event is part of a broader roadshow series that began in Penang in August 2026, where the focus was on connecting semiconductor businesses and their supply chains with ECF and P2P financing platforms. The next instalment is scheduled to take place in Selangor before the end of the year.
