Business & self-employed

Borrowing as an SME, sole proprietor, freelancer or gig worker: what lenders look at, which documents prove your income, and how to size a business loan.

2 guides, about 19 minutes of reading

Start here10 min readA practical guide to SME business loansIt covers eligibility, documents and how a business loan limit is decided, the groundwork for both guides in this section.Read this guide first

What you'll learn

Business owners, freelancers and gig workers can borrow too, but lenders look at different evidence from a payslip. These guides explain how self-employed income is usually assessed from bank statements, platform earnings statements, SSM registration and your e-Filing Borang B, and how to put your document pack together.

They also cover how an SME business loan limit is decided, how to size a loan against your quietest month rather than your best, how to match the term to what the money is for, and whether a personal or business loan fits your purpose.

All guides in Business & self-employed

Business & self-employed9 min read

Self-employed or a gig worker? How to apply for a loan with confidence

No payslip doesn't mean no loan. If you drive for Grab, ride for Foodpanda, sell on Shopee, freelance or run your own small business, lenders can still assess your income. They just look at different evidence. This guide explains how self-employed income is usually assessed, with a worked RM example that takes out running costs and plans around a slow month, which documents help most (bank statements, platform earnings statements, SSM registration and your e-Filing Borang B), how to put your document pack together, whether a personal or business loan fits, and the mistakes to avoid.

Business & self-employed10 min read

A practical guide to SME business loans

What documents do you need for an SME business loan, how is your limit decided, and how much should you borrow and for how long? This guide covers eligibility, documents, assessment and cash-flow planning, with worked RM examples.

Key terms

The words that come up most in these guides. Each one opens the full explanation in our glossary.

Open the full glossary

Useful tools and pages

Put what you've read to work with your own numbers, or check the details that apply to your loan.

Common questions on this topic

See all FAQs

I'm self-employed or a gig worker. Can I apply?

Yes, if you have a steady income. Without a payslip, your income is assessed from other evidence: bank statements showing regular earnings, platform statements from apps such as Grab, Foodpanda or Shopee, and your SSM registration or Borang B if you have them. Having your earnings paid into one account you use consistently helps. Our blog post 'Self-employed or a gig worker? How to apply for a loan with confidence' explains what to prepare.

What documents do I need?

If you're salaried: your last 3 months' payslips, or 3 months of bank statements showing your salary, and optionally your EPF statement. For a Short-term Loan, your latest payslip or a recent bank statement showing your income is usually enough. If you're self-employed or a gig worker: several months of bank statements, plus platform or e-wallet earnings statements, SSM registration or your Borang B if you have them. For the SME Business Loan: SSM registration and the last 6 months' business bank statements. Your MyKad is verified when you sign. We don't ask for your IC number on the website, and you should send documents only to our official WhatsApp number.

Who can apply?

Malaysian citizens and permanent residents aged 21 to 60 with a steady income and a Malaysian bank account in their own name. For the SME Business Loan, your business must be registered with SSM for at least 1 year.

Apply in about 3 minutes

Work out your monthly repayment first with our calculator. Your adviser confirms your rate before you sign, and applying doesn't commit you to borrow.

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