KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 -- While Malaysia has surged to a historic 15th in the IMD World Competitiveness Ranking, the Small and Medium Enterprises Association of Malaysia (Samenta) warns that these macro-level gains must now trickle down to the SME sector.

To achieve this, the association urged the government to target the next critical layer of bureaucracy: local councils (PBTs) and statutory bodies.

Samenta said its own surveys highlight a stark disconnect between national rankings and ground-level reality.

"SMEs consistently report that unpredictable processing timelines for licenses, permits and renewals as well as erratic enforcement remain a primary driver of rising operational costs and business uncertainties," Samenta national pr...