KUALA LUMPUR, Jan. 6 -- Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) will receive an additional RM2.5 billion to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs), with a focus on helping first-time borrowers gain access to financing.

In a statement today, Bank Negara Malaysia said the allocation was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in his 2026 New Year Message.

The additional funds bring the total size of BNM's Fund for SMEs to RM34.9 billion, following RM32.4 billion already made available through participating financial institutions to date.

BNM said it will also move towards using credit guarantees to support SME financing, with a target of providing up to RM10 billion in guaranteed financing.

"The transition to credit guarantee schem...