27/01/2026

BIZ & FINANCE TUESDAY | JAN 27, 2026

READ OUR

HERE

16

Malaysian Paper

/thesun

SME Hero AI secures Asean and Asia records

“Ultimately, this supports continuity of care, strengthens public health safeguards, and translates national policy objectives into measurable, system-level impact.” Looking ahead, Fomema will continue to pursue strategic partnerships that respond to an increasingly complex health landscape. While this financing prioritises the requirements specified under the Umbrella Programme, Fomema said it remains open to future collaborations that deliver inclusive and meaningful benefits across its broader service provider network. The programme is expected to be rolled out in the second quarter of 2026, with further details on eligibility criteria and application processes to be announced in due course. OpenSys launches next-generation self-service banking platform KUALA LUMPUR: OpenSys (M) Bhd yesterday launched the Horizon Series, a next-generation self-service banking platform developed through a collaboration between its subsidiary, OpenSys Technologies Sdn Bhd, and Oki Electric Industry Co. Ltd (OKI). The launch coincided with a partnership signing ceremony between OpenSys Technologies and OKI recently. Horizon Series is the first cash recycling self service banking platform designed and manufactured in Malaysia by OpenSys Technologies, incorporating a cash recycling module provided by OKI. Built on OKI’s globally proven cash recycling foundation, the Horizon Series brings together technologies from both OpenSys Technologies and OKI into a single, unified self-service banking platform. In a statement, OpenSys said the Horizon Series is designed to support banks navigating structural shifts in branch banking, where cost efficiency, automation, and regulatory resilience are increasingly critical. By consolidating multiple self-service functions onto a single enterprise-grade platform, financial institutions can modernise branch operations, optimise cash economics, and expand service availability without increasing operational complexity. At its core, the platform enables cash recycling by allowing deposited cash to be reused for withdrawals. This improves cash utilisation, reduces idle cash holdings, lowers cash-in-transit and insurance costs, and decreases replenishment frequency. Combining deposit and withdrawal functions within a single device also allows banks to reduce the number of machines per branch, improve uptime in high-traffic locations, and streamline day-to-day cash operations. “The Horizon Series is designed to help banks improve cash economics while rethinking the role of self-service in a digital-first banking environment,” said Denis Koay, group chief commercial officer of OpenSys and Co-CEO of OpenSys Technologies. He added that it provides a resilient, upgradeable platform that allows financial institutions to consolidate operations, expand services, and adapt over time without repeated infrastructure replacement. “OKI’s cash recycling technology has been deployed globally across diverse banking environments,” said Shotaro Nakatsu, executive officer and head of enterprise solutions division, OKI. “Through this collaboration with OpenSys Technologies, we are extending that proven foundation into a locally assembled platform that supports more efficient branch operations and the evolving needs of self-service banking.”

PETALING JAYA: Agmo Holdings Bhd, a homegrown digital solutions and application development specialist yesterday launched the SME Hero AI, a localised artificial intelligence (AI) platform designed to help Malaysian Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), automate operations and make better, data-driven decisions and scale securely in the digital economy. In conjunction with the launch, Asean Records has recognised SME Hero AI with both an Asean Record and an Asia Record. In a statement, Agmo said, SME Hero AI is deployed on cloud infrastructure based in Malaysia, designed to address long-standing challenges faced by MSMEs in adopting AI that includes data security concerns, lack of localisation, and limited access to practical, business-ready AI solutions. The platform, it added, focuses on local expert knowledge bases, local system integrations, and human oversight to ensure AI outputs remain accurate and aligned with Malaysia’s regulatory and business environment. In addition to trust and localisation, cost accessibility is a core design principle of SME Hero AI. The platform is offered at prices starting from as low as RM20 per user per month, enabling SMEs to access enterprise-ready AI capabilities without significant upfront investment and lowering barriers to adoption across sectors.

o Dual awards underscore Agmo’s role in advancing artificial intelligence adoption among SMEs

the platform, ensuring AI-generated insights remain aligned with Malaysia’s regulatory and business environment. Agmo Holdings CEO Tan Aik Keong said: “We are delighted to that our SME Hero AI is recognised by the Asean Records with both an Asean Record and an Asia Record. “The Asean Record recognition further validates our approach and commitment to building AI solutions designed for Malaysia. “By combining Malaysia’s sovereign cloud infrastructure with local expert knowledge and human oversight, we are building an enterprise-ready AI platform that Malaysian businesses can adopt with confidence.” “Affordability is critical to adoption. By making SME Hero AI available at a price point that is relatively attractive, we aim to democratise access to AI and help more SMEs improve productivity, resilience, and long-term growth.” The launch of SME Hero AI (https://smehero.ai/) aligns closely with the government’s Malaysia AI Landscape and Budget 2026 priorities, which identify AI for MSMEs and Trusted National AI as key cross-sector enablers to drive economic growth, productivity and digital adoption.

To further support Malaysian SMEs, the platform is also available for a limited-period free trial, allowing businesses to experience its features firsthand before subscribing. SME Hero AI also introduces features uniquely tailored for Malaysian companies. These include a Budget 2026 Podcast series, providing concise AI-generated summaries on how Budget 2026 policies support SME growth, competitiveness, and resilience in line with Madani Economy principles. In addition, a Chinese New Year Zodiac Business Outlook Podcast offers a culturally relevant business lens on the Year of the Horse. The platform further features a Bank Statement Analyser, which extracts, and validates SME financial data to generate comprehensive business insight reports in under ten minutes, supporting faster and more informed decision-making. The platform leverages Agmo’s existing network of local professional collaborators, including YYC taxPOD, Boss Boleh, JomeInvoice, Low & Partners, Kakitangan.com, and other subject-matter experts. This allows local tax, legal, accounting, HR and payroll expertise to be incorporated into

Tan (fourth from right) posing with one of the awards.

Fomema, SME Bank strengthen financing support for service providers

KUALA LUMPUR: Fomema Sdn Bhd has formalised a strategic collaboration with Small Medium Enterprise Development Bank Malaysia Bhd (SME Bank) under the Umbrella Programme, an integrated support platform introduced in 2019, to facilitate the disbursement of financing facilities. This collaboration could benefit 30% of Fomema panel service providers nationwide, strengthening their capacity to operate sustainably within Malaysia’s foreign worker medical examination ecosystem. Under the collaboration, Fomema will identify and nominate eligible panel service providers based on established qualification criteria and operational requirements. Financing applications submitted by

Employers are expected to benefit from more reliable access to quality healthcare services for their foreign workforce, enabling improved workforce planning and productivity management. Fomema CEO Dr Mohd Afiq Farhan Md Hanif said: “As an anchor company, Fomema has a responsibility to ensure that our service provider network remains resilient, capable, and aligned with evolving healthcare and public health demands. “By enabling access to the resources needed to scale operations, this collaboration enables us to strengthen system sustainability by facilitating structured access to SME Bank’s financing support for our panel service providers.

nominated service providers will be assessed by SME Bank in accordance with its internal evaluation and approval processes. The financing support is designed to directly strengthen the capacity of Fomema’s panel service provider network, enabling clinics, laboratories, radiology centres, and related healthcare facilities to maintain service continuity, upgrade medical equipment, enhance information technology infrastructure, and address working capital requirements. By enabling service providers to scale capacity and modernise operations, the initiative supports more efficient and consistent delivery of medical examinations and health screenings for foreign workers throughout the year, beyond the annual work permit renewal cycle.