KUALA LUMPUR: Malayan Banking Bhd

(Maybank) has launched SME Perkasa, a targeted financing initiative to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) manage rising costs and cash-flow pressures amid an increasingly challenging operating environment.

The bank said it is committing RM1 billion in financing approvals over the next 12 months, with eligible businesses able to secure up to RM1 million in financing, along with a six-month deferral of principal payments.