By Nirek Panditha
In 2005, when Wayne Lim founded MALAYSIA SME, the country’s business media landscape was largely shaped by scale and stature. Headlines prioritised corporations, government-linked companies and multinational expansion stories. Yet, Malaysia’s economic engine was also being powered by an entirely different group of players.
“At that time, 99% of businesses were SMEs”, Lim said. “But 99% of the content did not highlight them”.
Lim’s observation reflected a structural gap rather than dissatisfaction. For Lim, this provided a moment of clarity. Small and medium enterprises were central to the economy, yet largely absent from mainstream media narratives. MALAYSIA SME was created to address that imbalance by focusing entirely on SMEs, without dilution.
Learning the SME Landscape Firsthand
Lim’s understanding of SME’s was built long before MALAYSIA SME existed. He spent ten years working at Singapore Yellow Pages, where his role involved selling advertising space to businesses across multiple industries.
“Ninety percent of the advertisers were SMEs”, he recalled. “For ten years, I engaged with them every day”.
Through these interactions, he developed a close understanding of how SMES operate, including their priorities and constraints. This exposure shaped his entrepreneurial thinking and reinforced his belief that SMEs deserved a dedicated media platform.
When Lim decided to leave corporate life, it was driven by readiness rather than impulse.
“I felt I was at the right age”, he said. “If I didn’t do it at that time, maybe later I would have been too afraid to start my own business.
Building a Media Platform with Practical Thinking
Launching a print publication required significant resources, particularly in production and distribution. Like many entrepreneurs, Lim faced the challenge of working capital.
“Starting a business always requires working capital”, he said.
He shared an anecdote where he explored how he approached the challenge of funding with practicality.
“I looked at funding from a different perspective”, he explained.
By negotiating longer credit terms with printers, Lim aligned production costs with advertising payment cycles that were standard in the market.
“As long as the printer could give me three to four months, I saw there was no reason the business could not sustain itself”, he said.
This approach helped MALAYSIA SME to begin operations with manageable pressure and a clear focus on content and relationships.
Growth Driven by Timing and Focus
Within three years, MALAYSIA SME expanded into a recognised SME-focused media platform. Lim attributes this growth primarily to timing and opportunity.
“I personally felt it was timing”, he said. “The opportunity was there, and I took the risk.” Drawing from Chinese philosophy, Lim referenced the idea of tian shi, di li, ren he, which reflects the alignment of timing, opportunity and people. “When these things come together, things move”, he said.
Throughout this period, MALAYSIA SME remained tightly focused. Rather than broadening its editorial scope, it has deepened its commitment to SME coverage, which has helped distinguish it within the media landscape.
Editorial Consistency as a Core Value
Over the past two decades, the media environment in Malaysia has changed significantly. Despite these shifts, MALAYSIA SME’s editorial direction has remained consistent.
“If we have nothing better to say, don’t say it.”, Lim said.
From the beginning, the platform has prioritised factual reporting and meaningful SME coverage. “Our focus has always been highlighting and spotlighting SMEs”, He said. “It is always about the facts”.
This consistency has helped establish long-term trust with readers and stakeholders.
“Over twenty years, our reporting has been very consistent”, Lim said. “That is why people see us as reliable”.
Transitioning From Print to Digital
The shift from print to digital was an important milestone. Rising costs and changing consumption habits made the transition inevitable, and the COVID-19 lockdown only accelerated that process.
“When the lockdown happened, I knew”, Lim said, citing that with empty offices and everyone inside, MALAYSIA SME’s physical prints had nowhere to be delivered.
Moving fully online allowed MALAYSIA SME to continue serving the SME community while maintaining its editorial principles.
A Broader Understanding of Advocacy
In its early years, MALAYSIA SME played a more active role in discussing SME policies and regulatory matters. Over time, Lim observed that many organisations had emerged to fill that space effectively.
“Today, there are many organisations doing it well”, he said.
Rather than competing, Lim chose to focus on areas where he could add different value. This led him to place greater emphasis on the personal well-being of entrepreneurs.
Health, Lifestyle and Sustainable Entrepreneurship
Lim believes that long-term business success is closely tied to personal health and lifestyle.
As a certified football and golf coach, as well as an avid enthusiast of both sports, he has allowed these passions to influence a new direction in his work, integrating business engagement with lifestyle and sports-based activities. Through initiatives such as what he termed “pickleball networking sessions” and informal gatherings, Lim aims to create environments where business relationships can develop naturally.
“When people are in a relaxed mood, they get to know each other better”, he said.
Looking Forward With Ambition and Perspective
As MALAYSIA SME marks its 20th anniversary, Lim continues to look ahead. One of his upcoming initiatives, the MALAYSIA SME Sportrepreneur Congress 2026, is a conference that is to be held at the summit of Mount Kinabalu, bringing business leaders together in a setting that symbolises resilience, focus and shared achievement.
Beyond that, Lim has also set a long term personal ambition to summit Mount Everest. For him, this goal reflects preparation, discipline and a long-term mindset that mirrors entrepreneurship itself.
Twenty years after founding MALAYSIA SME, Wayne Lim remains guided by the same principles that shaped its beginning. Through consistency, focus and clarity of purpose, he has built a platform that continues to serve Malaysia’s SME community while looking confidently toward new horizons.
“I always believe in doing things step by step.”
Wayne Lim
