RM950.78 Million Disbursed To Local Entrepreneurs And Cooperatives

The government continues to assist local businesses, particularly micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to have better access to financing for them to achieve a comprehensive entrepreneur development. The national budget 2027 has placed special emphasis on MSME development, particularly through improved access to financing and reduced costs of doing business.

The Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (Kementerian Pembangunan Usahawan dan Koperasi or KUSKOP) and its agencies have disbursed RM950.78 million in financing to 44,059 entrepreneurs and cooperatives in Sabah as at September 2026. “We want more entrepreneurs and local companies in Sabah move forward, become more digitalised, productive and innovative, while expanding their market reach nationally and internationally.”

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor said at the opening of the Sabah-level Hebatkan Perniagaan Malaysia Carnival on 25th October 2026 at Lintasan Deasoka, Kota Kinabalu. “Entrepreneurs need not only financing, but also training, technology, improved productivity, simpler application procedures and access to wider markets.”

KUSKOP has implemented bureaucratic reforms to simplify application procedures and logistics. The State Government is working with KUSKOP and its agencies to ensure that Federal Government programmes are aligned with the needs of Sabah's business ecosystem. The industry benefits from the close cooperation between the State Government, Federal Government, financial institutions, the private sector and the business community in creating an ecosystem that would enable more local enterprises to grow and penetrate global markets, the CM said.

The State Government continues to focus on strengthening local entrepreneur development throughout 2026, including through the SME-UP Assistance Programme to enhance the capacity, productivity and competitiveness of local enterprises in order to create more opportunities for local products to penetrate new markets, particularly in the food and beverage, agriculture, tourism, and handicrafts. The State Government is strengthening innovation- and technology-based entrepreneurship development, alongside rural product empowerment and skills development programmes.

“These initiatives provide opportunities for more entrepreneurs, particularly youths and rural communities, to enhance their skills, add value to their products and explore new economic opportunities,” Hajiji said.