KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 9): Public Bank Bhd (KL:PBBANK) said it is committed to extend RM1 billion in financing to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in partnership with Credit Guarantee Corp Malaysia Bhd (CGC).

"As the largest SME financier of the nation with a market share of 17.5% in Malaysia’s SME financing segment, our partnership with CGC reaffirms our commitment to foster sustainable SME development," said Public Bank managing director and CEO Tan Sri Tay Ah Lek.

As of June 2024, the bank has extended RM69.3 billion of financing to SMEs, Tay said at a luncheon attended by senior management staff from Public Bank and CGC on Monday, according to a statement from the bank.

The RM1 billion financing from Public Bank is guaranteed by CGC, which is 78.65%-owned by Bank Negara Malaysia and 21.35% by commercial banks in Malaysia.

CGC president and CEO Datuk Mohd Zamree Mohd Ishak said RM280 million of the RM1 billion has already been launched, with an additional RM150 million rolled out on Monday.

"Taking into account Malaysia's encouraging first half 2024 economic growth which surpassed economists’ forecast, our immediate plan is to jointly work with Public Bank on the remaining RM570 million which will be launched to meet the additional financing needs of SMEs in line with the expected further improvement in the Malaysian economy," Zamree said.

Shares in Public Bank, Malaysia’s third-largest bank by assets, closed five sen or 1.05% higher at RM4.80, giving the bank a market capitalisation of RM93.17 billion.