OCTOBER 13 — The ultimate measure of the success of Budget 2027 is not so much in macro-economic figures but in the tangible impact felt on the ground by businesses and workers.

In Budget 2027 the Madani government has dubbed 2027 officially as the Year of Malaysian MSMEs.

MSMEs are often cited as the backbone of the economy making up 97.4 per cent of all businesses in Malaysia with microenterprises taking up 77.4 per cent, small-sized firms 21.4 per cent and medium-sized firms 1.1 per cent. They employ 8.1 million people or 48.7 per cent of the total workforce.

File photo of store workers and customers around Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman in Kuala Lumpur. MSMEs are often cited as the backbone of the economy making up 97.4 per cent of all businesses in Malaysia with microenterprises taking up 77.4 per cent, small-sized firms 21.4 per cent and medium-sized firms 1.1 per cent. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon