He said a report by the Khazanah Research Institute showed that financing facilities are widely available but many people are still unaware of them or do not fully utilise them.

“I have discussed with agencies such as Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN), Tekun Nasional, Bank Rakyat, Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia, Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) and Agrobank to go down to the ground.

“Do not ask traders to come to the office.

“The aim is to engage the people so that more can access loans with low service charges of around RM400,” he told reporters after visiting the Taman Melawati Farmers’ Market here.

According to Anwar, many small traders needed only RM10,000 to RM20,000 to start or expand their businesses.

He also noted that repayment rates among small traders are strong, especially among women, who achieve nearly 100% repayment, while for men it is around 95%.

“These people work hard; they don’t complain much. There is no constant grumbling or whining … that’s only from some politicians,” he said in jest.

Last week, the government announced a micro-financing package worth more than RM5 billion for 2026, expected to benefit over 400,000 micro-entrepreneurs.

The facility offers loans of up to RM100,000, with interest rates for certain schemes as low as 4% per annum.