19th May 2026 - 3 min read
Maybank has launched SME Perkasa, a financing initiative aimed at small and medium enterprises (SMEs) under pressure from rising operating costs and tightening cash flows. The bank is committing RM1 billion in approvals over 12 months, with each eligible business able to access up to RM1 million in financing.
Applications are now open and qualifying customers can receive disbursements within 48 hours of completing their documentation.
SME Perkasa is available to existing Maybank SME customers across 10 priority sectors. These cover logistics , wholesale distribution, construction, food supply chains, fabricated metals and industrial goods, petrol station dealers, agriculture, furniture, machinery importers, and courier services.
If you are in a different sector, you can still apply, but approval is subject to individual assessment. The initiative is for existing customers only, so if you have not previously banked with Maybank, SME Perkasa won’t apply to you.
Once you complete your documentation, Maybank targets disbursement within 48 hours through a dedicated credit assessment workflow that draws on your existing transaction history and banking data to speed up evaluation.
If you are managing payroll gaps or supplier payments, you can receive a lending decision in under two days rather than waiting weeks. The 48-hour clock starts after full document execution, not from the point of application, getting your paperwork in order first determines how quickly funds arrive.
You will receive a six-month principal payment deferment, which means monthly repayments during that period will not reduce the principal balance. This keeps the immediate repayment amount lower while your cash position stabilises.
After the deferment period ends, standard repayment terms resume and the deferred principal still needs to be paid down. Factor this into your cash flow planning for the full loan term, not just the first six months.
Alongside the financing, you can also access business advisory services and agency partnerships. These include the Credit Guarantee Corporation (CGC), Syarikat Jaminan Pembiayaan Perniagaan (SJPP), Agensi Kaunseling dan Pengurusan Kredit (AKPK), the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN), MATRADE, and MIDA.
If you need more than a loan, these partnerships cover credit guarantees, debt management, and export support. SME Perkasa sits within the wider Maybank Financial Relief Scheme, which includes financial relief options for individual and SME customers alike.
The RM1 billion pool runs across 12 months, with no stated allocation per sector or per month. This is aimed at businesses already under pressure, so demand is unlikely to stay low for long.
If you are an existing Maybank SME customer in one of the priority sectors, apply early. The 48-hour disbursement only begins after documentation is complete, so having everything prepared before approaching the bank shortens the actual wait.
If you are outside the priority sectors, eligibility depends on individual assessment, and the timeline may not match the headline figure.
A six-month principal deferment works well if the cash flow shortfall is short-term and income is expected to recover. If the pressure is likely to persist, full repayment obligations kick in once the deferment ends, and if you have not planned for that, you will feel it.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for the latest money tips and updates.
Christina writes about personal finance with an eye for making the complicated feel straightforward. She is drawn to the everyday money decisions people face and genuinely enjoys finding the clearest way to explain them. Between articles, she is probably napping, on a hiking trail, or terrorising her sister’s cats.
Comments (0)