A total of 50 of the best Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) were recognised at the Enterprise 50 (E50) Award 2026, organised by SME Corp. Malaysia, an agency under the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (KUSKOP). The award recipients were celebrated at the E50 Award Gala Dinner on 16 October 2026, which was officially launched by YB Encik Steven Sim Chee Keong, Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives.
The E50 Award is a prestigious award programme that recognises the achievements of the top 50 SMEs in Malaysia. The following are the main eligibility criteria for participating in this Award:
▪ Fulfilling the MSME definition;
▪ Obtaining a rating of at least 3 stars under the SME Competitiveness Rating for Enhancement (SCORE) programme;
▪ Not listed on Bursa Malaysia;
▪ Having audited financial statements for the latest 3 years; and
▪ Subsidiaries are not eligible if the parent company is participating.
Since its introduction in 1997, the E50 Award, with the theme ‘Celebrating the Spirit of Malaysian Entrepreneurship’, has gained industry and business community recognition for over two decades, thus becoming a symbol of credibility that highlights SME excellence. To date, SME Corp. Malaysia has successfully produced 843 recipients of this Award, and of that number, 67 recipients have successfully been listed on the capital market.
YB Encik Steven Sim in his speech stated that in the Government’s effort to strengthen the country’s business ecosystem, the E50 Award Programme has also been identified as one of the programmes under the Hebatkan Perniagaan Malaysia (HPM) initiative by KUSKOP, which he himself introduced.
He further stated that the Government continues to intensify efforts to empower Malaysian businesses, particularly through Budget 2027 as announced by YAB the Prime Minister. The allocation for MSMEs, which has increased to RM57 billion, strengthens support for MSMEs through increased financing, reduced operating costs and market expansion, making the Budget a Budget for MSMEs, with 2027 as the Year of Malaysian MSMEs.
Meanwhile, commenting on this year’s organisation, YBrs. Encik Rizal bin Dato’ Nainy, Chief Executive Officer of SME Corp. Malaysia and Chairman of the E50 Programme Organising Committee, said, “A total of 160 nominations were received this year, which is the highest number of nominations ever received in the history of the E50 Award. This year also saw a new line-up of Strategic Partners that further added to the prestige of the E50 Award. On behalf of SME Corp. Malaysia, I would like to record my appreciation and gratitude to Baker Tilly Malaysia as the Auditor of the E50 Award and Berjaya Sompo Insurance Berhad as the Main Sponsor, as well as Malayan Banking Berhad (Maybank), Credit Guarantee Corporation Malaysia Berhad (CGC), P2P Nusa Kapital Sdn. Bhd., Malaysian Industrial Development Finance Berhad (MIDF), microLEAP PLT, Bursa Malaysia Berhad, Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC), Unifi Business, Pertubuhan Berita Nasional Malaysia (BERNAMA) and Media Prima Berhad for their support in ensuring the success of the E50 Programme this year.”
The highlight of the E50 Award ceremony last night saw NIMS Adeliciousz Sdn. Bhd. crowned as the overall winner, followed by Syarikat Minyak Afiat Sdn. Bhd. in second place and Skinlab Biochem Resources (M) Sdn. Bhd. completing the top three. In addition, Accordia Global Sdn. Bhd., Fire Fighter Industry Sdn. Bhd., Ukiran Maksima Sdn. Bhd., Venus Biotech Sdn. Bhd., JL Food Industries Sdn. Bhd., Dodo Ventures Sdn. Bhd. and SENZ Marketing (M) Sdn. Bhd. were among the other top 10 winners. Fire Fighter Industry Sdn. Bhd., Billion Prima Sdn. Bhd. and Duriane Professionals Sdn. Bhd. respectively received special categories: the E50 Best Woman Entrepreneur Award, the E50 Best Export Entrepreneur Award and the E50 Best ESG Practices Award.
Besides recognising SME excellence through awards, this year the E50 Programme introduced more dynamic renewals through the organisation of the E50 Export Conference on 15 October as well as the E50 Business Matching Session and PRESTIGE on the morning of 16 October 2026 to provide maximum benefit to E50 Award candidates.
Also present at the E50 Award Gala Dinner were YBhg. Dato’ Sri Khairul Dzaimee bin Daud, Secretary-General of KUSKOP; YB Dato’ Amizar bin Abu Adam, EXCO for FELDA Affairs, Cooperatives and Entrepreneurs of the State of Pahang representing YAB Dato’ Sri Diraja Haji Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, Menteri Besar of Pahang and Special Advisor to the National Entrepreneur and MSME Development Council (MPUPK); YBhg. Dato’ Teng Chang Khim, Chairman of SME Corp. Malaysia; YBrs. Encik Rizal bin Dato’ Nainy, Chief Executive Officer of SME Corp. Malaysia; TYT Dr. Karomidin Gadoev, Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Malaysia; and YBrs. Puan Soo Wai Har, Chief Executive Officer of Berjaya Sompo Insurance.
The year 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of SMIDEC – SME Corp. Malaysia. SME Corp. Malaysia is the Central Coordinating Agency (CCA) under the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (KUSKOP) that coordinates the implementation of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) development programmes across Ministries and related agencies. SME Corp. Malaysia also acts as a reference centre for research and dissemination of data related to MSMEs, as well as providing advisory services for MSMEs nationwide.
Beginning on 2 May 1996, SME Corp. Malaysia, formerly known as the Small and Medium Industries Development Corporation (SMIDEC), aimed to develop capable and resilient Malaysian Small and Medium Industries (SMIs) so that they would be competitive in the global market. In 2007, SMIDEC was mandated by the National SME Development Council, chaired by YAB the Prime Minister, to formulate comprehensive policies and strategies for SMEs and to drive SME programmes across Ministries and Agencies. Accordingly, SMIDEC was officially rebranded as SME Corp. Malaysia on 2 October 2009.
Three decades of charting success, SME Corp. Malaysia will continue its mission to develop competitive, innovative and resilient MSMEs that can contribute significantly to the national economy. Anchored on the clear strategic direction as planned in the Business Strategic Plan (BSP) 2022 – 2030, SME Corp. Malaysia remains committed to Leading the Transformation of MSME Businesses.
