Anwar: EXIM Bank, SME Bank, BPMB Merger Still Ongoing

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the merger of Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Bhd, Exim Bank, and SME Bank is still in progress, and the focus on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) will continue.

During a ministerial question and answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today, he said that among the conditions emphasised by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), which is overseeing the merger, is that the terms for SME and Bumiputera loans will remain as the key criteria and part of the policy arising from the merger. 

He was responding to a supplementary question from Datuk Wira Dr Ku Abd Rahman Ku Ismail (PN-Kubang Pasu) regarding the merger of the three banks.

During the presentation of Budget 2024, Anwar announced that development financial institutions would be restructured through the merger of Bank Pembangunan Malaysia, SME Bank, and Exim Bank.

-- BERNAMA