Kosmo – PMB Tijari Helps ‘Underserved’ SMEs

Corporate Talk Segment

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are among the business segments that heavily depend on financing facilities to grow.

However, obtaining financing is not always easy. The process involves multiple steps and strict requirements from lenders—many of which can be difficult for businesses to meet, especially those that are still new.

Kosmo! journalist, Ikhwan Ideris, recently met with the CEO of PMB Tijari Bhd., Wan Sazriz Wan Zaid, at his office in Kuala Lumpur to understand his commitment to helping entrepreneurs in the “underserved” segment.

According to him, PMB Tijari’s assessment methods differ from conventional financial institutions, which allows them to provide financing to their target group.

Why is PMB Tijari interested in helping this underserved group?

Wan Sazriz:
This is part of our mandate. These entrepreneurs need to be supported because they have the expertise, skills, and experience. However, sometimes bank requirements make it impossible for them to qualify for financing.

Why aren't banks interested in this group?

Banks have different requirements and limitations. Most financial institutions are reluctant to offer substantial financing to small companies—especially those with just a four-person team. These "expert companies" often start with a narrow operational scope.

What are PMB Tijari’s criteria for financing?

We evaluate a company’s ability to fulfill their contracts—looking at their management, expertise, and past project performance. At PMB Tijari, we don’t place too much emphasis on financial statements, because the numbers might not look appealing on paper.

How much financing is offered?

Previously, our financing range was between RM500,000 and RM5 million. But we’ve increased the limit to RM10 million, as some borrowers require more than RM5 million. If you look closely, very few institutions offer financing in the RM5 million to RM10 million range, and we’re stepping in to meet that need.

We’re targeting to disburse up to RM100 million in financing this year, and 40 percent has already been utilized. We’re optimistic that demand will continue to grow after the Movement Control Order (MCO), so we’ve prepared accordingly with increased financing limits.