PETALING JAYA: The government is intensifying efforts to scale up Bumiputera enterprises with the launch of four new initiatives under the Teraju Aspirasi Outreach 2026, aimed at creating real business value and preparing firms for national and regional markets.
Economic Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said the programmes, Ascend, Enhance, Xcelerate and the Bumiputera Strategic Acquisition Fund (BSAF) are designed to strengthen company capabilities, improve investment readiness, and accelerate the growth of high-potential Bumiputera firms.
“Bumiputera empowerment must move beyond mere numbers. The focus is on quality participation, productivity, income generation and control in high-value sectors,” Akmal said during the event at M Resort & Hotel today, attended by over 500 industry players, recipient companies, financial institutions and strategic partners.
The minister noted that while Bumiputera participation in Malaysia’s economy is significant, their contribution to GDP remains modest at 8.1%, highlighting the need for targeted measures to strengthen involvement in strategic value chains and high-tech industries.
The new programmes adopt a phased development approach. Ascend, Enhance, Xcelerate provide structured support from operational and financial strengthening, leadership and governance enhancement, to investment readiness and market expansion, enabling firms to scale sustainably.
BSAF, meanwhile, is aimed at supporting strategic growth initiatives, including mergers and acquisitions, management buyouts, pre-IPO preparations, and international market expansion. “This completes Teraju’s ecosystem of facilitation and strategic financing, helping Bumiputera firms enhance business value sustainably,” Akmal added.
Teraju CEO Junady Nawawi highlighted the achievements of 2025 as a foundation for 2026’s more ambitious agenda. “Through the Bumiputera Expansion and Catalyst Fund (BECF), RM1.07 billion was channelled to over 500 firms. Meanwhile, RM158 million in working capital via i-WCPF benefitted 276 companies. In total, more than 800 Bumiputera firms received direct financing, with 418 supported via facilitation services, surpassing our RM1 billion target for the year,” he said.
The minister also underscored the collaboration between Teraju and Bursa Malaysia under the Xcelerate programme, which aims to prepare high-potential firms for public listing through structured facilitation, financing support, and ecosystem alignment.
“Through this strategic partnership, we are providing a clear pathway for firms to become investment-ready and scale regionally and internationally,” Akmal said.
The event also featured strategic networking sessions with partners across finance, infrastructure, regulation, talent, technology and marketing, reinforcing cross-sector collaboration to accelerate market access and business growth. Bumiputera entrepreneurs who completed the Elevate programme, in collaboration with the Securities Commission Malaysia, were recognised during the ceremony.
The initiatives align with PuTERA35, Teraju’s flagship plan targeting a 15% Bumiputera contribution to GDP by 2035. PuTERA35 operates on three pillars: strengthening the national economic foundation, consolidating governance and institutional harmony, and promoting social justice, implemented through 12 drivers and 132 interventions across ministries, agencies, and government-linked companies.
“Success is measured not by announcements, but by tangible results and impact,” Akmal said, noting upgrades to the PuTERA35 monitoring dashboard will ensure integrated, data-driven oversight of all initiatives.
With government and private sector support, Teraju aims to create an inclusive, competitive ecosystem that nurtures high-growth, high-value Bumiputera firms, accelerates job creation, and enhances Malaysia’s economic resilience.
“We want Bumiputera to ‘step up the standard,’ the economy to ‘increase in value,’ and Malaysia to ‘rise in stature’,” Akmal concluded before officially launching the Teraju Aspirasi Outreach 2026.
