Things are definitely looking up for Malaysia’s small and medium-sized enterprises SMEs. Sure, many face volatile exchange rates and commodity prices, but some industries such as in the oil and gas sector are doing very nicely. They can also look forward to further largesse from the Malaysian authorities who have launched an ambitious plan for the next decade to improve the sector’s somewhat lagging productivity and increase its contribution to GDP.
“SMEs have to contend with fluctuating commodity prices and foreign exchange rates which, if not managed properly, will adversely impact their business,” said James Lim Cheng Poh, managing director, business banking, AmBank. “However, for those...