As Malaysia prepares to host SME Venture@ASEAN 2025 in October under its ASEAN Chairmanship, the spotlight is on how local businesses can break past domestic limits and seize regional opportunities. But while ASEAN is often touted as a natural growth market for Malaysian SMEs, the journey beyond our borders remains filled with challenges.

We speak with Rizal Dato’ Nainy, CEO of SME Corp Malaysia, about the real barriers holding SMEs back from scaling regionally, from structural hurdles to mindset gaps. We discuss what “export readiness” actually means, how SME Corp is driving innovation and digital adoption, and why events like SME Venture@ASEAN must go beyond networking to deliver real business impact.