PETALING JAYA: Despite small and medium enterprise (SME) confidence sliding to a record low, Alliance Bank Malaysia Bhd

remains bullish on Malaysian SMEs’ growth prospects as the bank rolls out the latest edition of its BizSmart Challenge Accelerator Edition 2026, aimed at accelerating technology adoption and investment readiness.

The SME Sentiment Index plunged to 45.1, its weakest level on record in the first half of 2026 from 55.6 in the preceding half-year, according to Small Medium Enterprise Development Bank Malaysia Bhd (SME Bank).