PETALING JAYA, Aug 18 — Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Malaysia are increasingly burdened by rising costs, labour shortages, and intensifying market competition, compounded by a growing list of government regulations. MCA vice-president and Tanjung Piai MP, Dato’ Sri Dr Wee Jeck Seng, warned that the piling up of tax, labour, and administrative requirements is leaving SMEs overwhelmed and struggling to cope.
Wee noted that businesses are not opposed to paying taxes or supporting reforms, but the pace and volume of new policies have outstripped the capacity of smaller firms to comply. “For a small company with just a dozen employees, SST, e-Invoicing, MTD, EPF, SOCSO, EIS, HRD Levy, and multiple portals may not seem much individually. But when combined, they create a crushing burden,” he said.
SMEs Struggle
SMEs now spend more time studying regulations, filling forms, and logging into different systems, often fearing penalties for late or missed submissions. Unlike large corporations with dedicated finance and legal teams, small businesses rely on one or two individuals to manage multiple roles, amplifying the strain.
MCA has proposed several measures to ease the burden: conducting a comprehensive review of regulations to eliminate duplication, integrating government systems, and ensuring genuine industry consultation before new policies are introduced. Wee also urged the government to calculate the actual time, manpower, and costs required for compliance, and to provide adjustment periods for new policies. He stressed that education and assistance should take precedence over fines for technical or first-time offences.
“What SMEs need most now is not more regulations, but a simpler, stable, and business-friendly environment,” Wee said, adding that reforms must be balanced with efforts to ease the burden on businesses.
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