09/01/2026

Editorial T: 03-7784 6688 F: 03-7785 2625 E: sunbiz@thesundaily.com Advertising T: 03-7784 8888 E: advertise@thesundaily.com

SCAN ME

FRIDAY | JAN 9, 2026

Sim’s ABCD formula to strengthen SMEs KUALA LUMPUR: Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong ( pic ) has set out an ambitious agenda for Malaysia’s small and medium enterprises. o Strategy calls for Accelerating productivity, reducing Bureaucracy, expanding Capital accessibility and Developing market access illustrated how Malaysian entre preneurs are leveraging creativity, heritage and digital tools to scale their brands globally. movement to build brands that the world recognises, respects, and remembers,” she said, highlighting the association’s 25-year history of advocating brand excellence.

“Malaysia is strategically located in the middle of three economic superpower zones, the Pearl River Delta, Silicon Valley, and the Bay of Bengal trade corridor. With the right strategies, our SMEs can transform from cost centers into value centres, building brands that are recognised and respected worldwide,” Sim said. Malaysia Brand Day 2026, organised by the Branding Asso ciation of Malaysia and supported by government agencies, provided the backdrop for Sim’s address. The three-day artificial intelli gence-powered exhibition brings together over 100 Malaysian brands from 16 industries, alongside policy makers, investors and entrepreneurs, showcasing the nation’s creativity and commercial potential. Branding Association of Malaysia president Datin Winnie Loo described the event as more than an exhibition: “Branding is not a luxury, it is a national necessity. Malaysia Brand Day marks the beginning of a

Liew says clear communication on tax policies vital PUTRAJAYA: It is important for the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (IRB) to listen to and understand public sentiment, considering that taxation is a sensitive issue for all taxpayers, said Deputy Finance Minister Liew Chin Tong. He made the remarks in a statement following his maiden visit to the IRB headquarters, stressing the need for the agency to communicate clearly, in a manner that is easy to understand and satisfactory to all taxpayers, especially when changes or amendments to tax rules and legislation are involved. He said effective communication is crucial in building public confi dence in the country’s tax system, in addition to ensuring that policies introduced can be accepted and implemented more smoothly. The IRB can also play an im portant role in boosting Malaysian companies, particularly local multi national corporations, by ensuring a level playing field between foreign and local companies, he added. Liew said a fair approach in the tax system is important to ensure that local companies are not sidelined, while supporting the agenda of developing national companies that are competitive at the global level. He expressed his appreciation to IRB CEO Datuk Abu Tariq Jamaluddin for the invitation to the visit. He also conveyed his thanks to the officers and staff, as well as all members of the IRB community. – Bernama continues until Saturday, featuring curated showcases, leadership dia logues, industry panels, business matching, and AI-powered engage ment tools, all designed to elevate Malaysian excellence and generate long-term economic value. - by DEEPALAKSHMI MANICKAM Organising chairman Eden Yap emphasised that the initiative is a national-scale platform for nation building. “Every brand built by Malaysians strengthens Malaysia. This is a platform to encourage support for local brands while inspiring entrepreneurs to invest in innovation and intellectual property.” Sim’s presence underscored strong public-private collaboration and alignment with national priorities to help SMEs move up the value chain and enhance Malaysia’s global competitiveness. He declared: “2026 is the year we make Malaysian businesses great. Let’s go. Jalan terus (march on). Malaysia Brand Day 2026

He highlighted the twin mandate of his new portfolio – safeguarding workers’ welfare and empowering entrepreneurs to build globally competitive brands. Disclosing this at the opening of

still a challenge. Our focus is to help businesses improve efficiency, simplify processes, secure financing and expand into new markets,” he said, adding that digitalisation underpins all four pillars. Government support for SMEs was also highlighted, including RM2.5 billion in additional finan cing, tax reimbursements for overpaid taxes in 2026, zero-rating for new SMEs in their first year and reduced Sales and Service Tax rates for qualifying enterprises. An annual RM10 billion allo cation under the Sara programme will further stimulate local consumption and support smaller businesses. Sim stressed the role of branding in driving long-term business resilience. Citing local success stories such as Jimmy Choo, Yuen Seng TCM, Yi Yang baby products and e commerce florist Bloom This, he

including intense global competition from longstanding trade partners such as China and the rise of protectionism in Western economies. He warned that

Malaysia Brand Day 2026 yesterday, Sim said, “The prime minister tasked me to jaga pekerja (take care of the workers) first, ensuring wage growth and social protection, and now my mission extends to SMEs, to take care of the tauke (employer) as well.” Sim was referencing

continuing with “busi ness as usual” could lead to enterprises going out of business, underscoring the ur gency for reform and innovation. To tackle these chal lenges, Sim unveiled the Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Develop ment Ministry’s ABCD Strategy’ – Accelerate productivity, Bureau cracy reduction, Capital accessibility and De

recent improvements in median wages, social security pro tection and gig worker coverage. The minister outlined the chal lenges facing Malaysian businesses,

velop market access. “Over 90% of business establish ments are SMEs, but productivity is

Property market to see moderate growth in 2026: Rahim & Co

Ű BY HAYATUN RAZAK sunbiz@thesundaily.com

Rahim & Co executive

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s property market is expected to register positive but moderate growth in 2026, supported by stable financial policies, evolving homebuyer preferences and rising ESG awareness, according to Rahim & Co Research Sdn Bhd. Director of research and con sultancy services Sulaiman Saheh said real housing demand nationwide, particularly in outskirt and suburban areas, is largely domestic and owner occupier driven. “We are a nation that is slowly inching towards an ageing nation. Our average age is above 30 right now. So there are a lot of growing families in the country. So we can see an emerging market within the up-graders market in the country,” he told reporters at the presentation of its property market review 2025-2026 yesterday. While the broader market con tinues to be anchored by owner occupiers, Sulaiman said, investor activity remains concentrated in major urban centres such as Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Penang and parts of Kota Kinabalu. “In Johor, investor interest has been supported by tangible infra structure catalysts, particularly the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS). Along certain RTS-linked corridors, some new launches have crossed RM1,000 per sq ft,” said Sulaiman. Against this backdrop new property launches are expected to rise modestly in line with industry expectations. “We do see it’ll be picking up a little bit.

chairman Tan Sri Dr Abdul Rahim Abdul Rahman (centre), Sulaiman (fourth from left) and other senior executives at the property market review presentation yesterday.

than volume-led growth. While transaction volumes softened slightly, demand remained resilient for well-located, liveable and owner-occupier-focused develop ments, indicating more disciplined buyer behaviour. Buyers became increasingly selective, prioritising affordability, connectivity and long-term value over speculative considerations. Regionally, market activity became more evenly distributed, with states such as Johor, Kedah and Malacca recording strong momentum sup ported by infrastructure connectivity, industrial expansion and cross-border economic spillovers. East Coast states also saw rising interest ahead of major infrastructure projects, although activity began to normalise towards the latter part of the year.

formats, while placing pressure on older, less adaptable stock. While key states continue to attract domestic and international real estate interest, several others have stepped up in market traction, surpassing peak levels seen in the early 2010s. Notably, Kedah and Malacca are expected to sustain transaction momentum through 2026, driven by strategic positioning and spillover benefits from neighbouring states’ industrial expansion. In addition, east coast states are seeing rising investor interest ahead of the East Coast Rail Link and highway infrastructure projects. In 2025, Malaysia’s property market showed signs of measured recalibration, with transaction activity moderating but overall value holding up, reflecting a shift towards quality-driven demand rather

And this is looking at how the market has been actually performing in the past.” Sulaiman said the current cycle is a phase of market normalisation, following earlier boom years when approvals and launch intensity became detached from underlying demand. “What we are seeing right now is the market growing, like entering into a new normalisation, a new phase of sustainable growth that we hope for.” The industrial property segment will remain strong, supported by logistics, high-value manufacturing and data infrastructure expansion, Sulaiman added. Meanwhile, commercial property trends are expected to become increasingly polarised, favouring ESG compliant, hybrid-ready and service focused and experiential-focused