Author: Fintech News Malaysia

Khazanah Nasional Berhad and the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) have priced the country’s first tokenised sukuk, a RM100 million issuance that runs on distributed ledger technology. The tokenised sukuk creates a cryptographically secure digital record, or “digital twin”, of the underlying Islamic bond, allowing it to be issued and transferred as a token on a shared ledger. The deal forms the inaugural tranche of Khazanah’s Sukuk Danum Programme, an Islamic Medium-Term Notes (IMTN) programme of up to RM20 billion in nominal value. The tranche carries a one-year tenure and is structured under the Shariah principle of Wakalah bi al-Istithmar, in…

Global payment platform SUNRATE has secured a Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) license, receiving Class B approval under the Money Services Business Act 2011. The regulatory milestone permits the company to offer regulated money remittance services to businesses. It facilitates cross-border payment operations for local enterprises expanding internationally, as well as global firms entering the Malaysian market. The move deepens SUNRATE’s existing presence in the country. The company previously established a Kuala Lumpur office to support customer experience, product development, and regional business growth. Demand for regulated financial infrastructure in Malaysia is rising as digital trade and cross-border commerce continue to…

TNG Digital, the operator of TNG eWallet, has wrapped up its first FINHACK hackathon, where more than 300 participants built AI-led solutions for fintech challenges such as fraud, security and financial inclusion. Held from 25 to 26 April 2026 at Grand Summit, Connexion, Bangsar South, the 36-hour event brought together students, developers, designers and aspiring entrepreneurs from across Malaysia. The TNG Digital FINHACK hackathon focused on problem statements covering artificial intelligence, digital payments, financial access and secure digital finance. Financial inclusion made up 35.5 percent of submissions, followed by security and fraud at 33.9 percent, and innovation at 30.6 percent.…

Ryt Bank and Ranhill SAJ have introduced a cashback campaign for Johor customers paying water bills through selected channels, as reported by the New Straits Times. Customers must activate a Ryt Bank account and pay at least RM10.50 to qualify. Cashback is capped at RM6 over two months. Eligible payments include Ryt Bank’s Snap & Pay JomPAY feature, which captures bill details from an uploaded image, as well as Ryt Card transactions and payments at Ranhill SAJ counters. Ranhill SAJ Interim CEO Mohd Hedzir Hanafi linked the tie-up to Johor’s digitalisation efforts, while Ryt Bank Interim CEO Wilson Soon positioned…

PayNet processed 8.44 billion digital payment transactions in 2025 as cashless payments gained further ground across Malaysia. The total reflects wider use of digital payments across retail spending, transport, peer-to-peer transfers and small businesses, with adoption rising among banks, non-bank players, merchants and consumers. Praveen Rajan, Chief Executive Officer of PayNet, said, “The continued growth in digital payments reflects a broader shift in how Malaysians move and manage money in their daily lives. Digital payments are becoming the preferred payment method across consumers, businesses and public services, enabled by continued innovation and collaboration across banks, non-banks participants, merchants and the…

Ryt Bank has rolled out PayLater on its card, giving users another way to manage everyday spending across more payment channels. The update extends the feature beyond DuitNow QR to card payments, allowing users to use PayLater for online purchases, in-store transactions and QR payments. The service now works across DuitNow QR and Visa payment networks. Ryt Bank said the update gives customers a single PayLater option across more payment scenarios, rather than limiting use to selected merchants or platforms. Eligible users can access up to RM1,499 in instant credit through Ryt PayLater. Users can avoid interest charges if they…

Fiuu has rolled out Tap to Pay on iPhone in Malaysia, allowing its merchants to accept contactless payments with only an iPhone and its Virtual Terminal app. The service lets merchants accept contactless credit and debit cards, Apple Pay and other digital wallets without needing a separate payment terminal. Customers can complete a payment by holding their card or device near the merchant’s iPhone, with the transaction processed through NFC technology. The Malaysia launch follows Fiuu’s rollout of Tap to Pay on iPhone in Singapore in December 2025. “The future of commerce is not about choosing between online and offline payments,…

HitPay has launched Tap to Pay on iPhone in Malaysia, allowing merchants to accept contactless payments using an iPhone and the HitPay iOS app. The feature supports contactless credit and debit cards, Apple Pay and other digital wallets. Customers can pay by holding their card or device near the merchant’s iPhone, with transactions completed through NFC technology. The launch follows HitPay’s rollout of Tap to Pay on iPhone in Singapore in December 2025. The service is aimed at smaller businesses looking to accept in-person payments without dedicated hardware or monthly terminal rentals. Merchants can receive instant, full upfront payments, which…

Malaysia will provide an additional RM5 billion in support for MSMEc affected by the West Asia crisis. Bernama reported that the facility will come under Bank Negara Malaysia, with further details to be announced later. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the new measure lifts the government’s latest MSME support package to RM10 billion, after the RM5 billion SJPP guarantee announced a day earlier. Under that earlier SJPP package, financing coverage was increased to as much as 80 percent from 70 percent previously, while the guarantee period was extended to up to 10 years. It is aimed at sectors…

Merchants using NTT DATA Payment Services can now accept contactless payments with an iPhone in Malaysia. Through the ADAPTIS Tap to Pay iOS app, businesses can accept in-person contactless payments without a separate terminal. The service supports contactless credit and debit cards, Apple Pay and other digital wallets using only an iPhone. Customers complete payments by holding their card or device near the merchant’s iPhone, with transactions processed through NFC technology. NTT DATA Payment Services said the service is available on iPhone 11 or later running the latest version of iOS. Tap to Pay on iPhone uses the iPhone’s built-in…

Hata has announced the closing of a US$8 million (about RM31.6 million) Series A funding round led by Bybit, alongside several prominent global family offices, on 20 April 2026. The Hata Series A Funding builds on Bybit’s earlier participation in Hata’s US$4.2 million seed round. Ben Zhou, co-founder and CEO of Bybit, shared, “By combining Hata’s local market leadership with Bybit’s global strengths in technology and product innovation, we hope to accelerate the growth of Malaysia’s digital asset and tokenised real-world asset ecosystem.” The round also saw participation from several global family offices with a strong focus on Southeast Asian…

Malaysia is a global leader in Islamic finance. But are Islamic banks delivering the kind of digital experience customers now expect? In this Fintech News Network roundtable, senior leaders across Malaysia’s banking and fintech ecosystem debate the digital maturity of Islamic banking, the gaps that still remain, and where the biggest opportunities for innovation lie. The discussion covers UX, ethical banking, Sharia compliance, personalization, Islamic wealth management, financial literacy, cloud migration, legacy infrastructure, and what it will take to move from compliance to genuinely better customer experiences. Speakers featured: Dafinah Ahmed Hilmi, CEO, HLB Islamic Aizuddin Danian, Chief Personal Banking…

The Securities Commission Malaysia and Bursa Malaysia have launched the MY Value Up Programme to help listed firms strengthen long-term value and improve investor appeal. Aligned with the Capital Market Masterplan 2026 to 2030, the initiative encourages public-listed companies to take a more deliberate approach to value creation and communicate their growth plans more clearly. Companies under the programme will be encouraged to articulate and disclose their medium- to long-term strategies more clearly to support better engagement with domestic and regional investors. The launch follows an engagement session involving chairpersons and C-suite executives from the top 88 public-listed companies, as…

TNG Digital has partnered with KK Mart to pay migrant workers through TNG eWallet across Malaysia. The move expands digital payroll access for workers who may not have bank accounts, while giving employers a recognised salary disbursement option. TNG eWallet has been recognised by Jabatan Tenaga Kerja Semenanjung Malaysia as one of the recognised payroll solutions for employers since August 2024. Alan Ni, Chief Executive Officer of TNG Digital said, “Many unbanked communities, such as migrant workers, face roadblocks when it comes to opening bank accounts or receiving salaries securely. By providing salary disbursement through TNG eWallet, we empower them…

Securities Commission Malaysia is looking to deepen capital market ties with China under its new five-year masterplan. The SC recently led a delegation to China under the Capital Market Masterplan 2026-2030, with the visit aimed at broadening investor participation and creating more opportunities for Malaysian investors. Representatives from Bank Negara Malaysia and Bursa Malaysia joined the visit as part of a wider effort under the masterplan to strengthen international connectivity and expand Malaysia’s investor base. The delegation met Chinese regulators including the China Securities Regulatory Commission and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange to discuss regulatory cooperation, market connectivity and…

AEON360 has teamed up with Google Cloud to simplify how customers shop, pay and access services across the AEON ecosystem. The multi-year partnership will begin in Malaysia before expanding to other Southeast Asian markets where AEON operates. It is part of AEON360’s plan to connect its retail, financial services and lifestyle businesses through AI. Daisuke Maeda, Chairman of AEON360, said, “With Google Cloud, we’re shifting from simple digital interactions to AI agents that surface the most relevant offerings and perform complex tasks on our customers’ behalf, starting in Malaysia, with a roadmap to expand across key Southeast Asian markets that…

Stablecoin transaction volumes surged 72% in 2025, reaching a record US$33 trillion and signalling growing institutional adoption for real-time settlement. Stablecoin payment activity is also heavily concentrated in Asia. Payments originating from the region account for around US$245 billion, or 60% of global stablecoin payment volume, driven largely by Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan. As adoption accelerates, institutions are increasingly focused on operational resilience, regulatory compliance, and integrating stablecoins into treasury and payment systems. The question is no longer whether stablecoins work, but how to scale them safely across global cross-border payment networks. In this webinar, we will explore: How…

Teleport, the logistics venture of Capital A, has partnered with Swiss Web3 engineering firm The Hashgraph Group (THG) to co-develop a Digital Customs Documentation System (DCDS). Built on the Hedera network, the system will digitise and manage the full customs document lifecycle for cross-border trade, with a proof of concept focusing on eCommerce movements and behaviour. The project addresses persistent bottlenecks in Southeast Asian supply chains. Through the Capital A’s Teleport and Hedera collaboration, the partners intend to provide a verifiable and immutable source of truth for all shipping events. The DCDS is built on three core technical pillars: immutable…

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim met with Bank Rakyat leadership to stress the importance of strengthening the Islamic banking and finance system. He stated that the sector’s growth should remain guided by justice, benevolence, and inclusiveness, in line with the government’s MADANI agenda. In a post on X, Anwar confirmed he received a visit from the Bank Rakyat Chairman and CEO to review its 2025 financial performance and discuss its direction for the coming year. He noted that the bank’s governance and financial position remained strong last year, reflecting high operational discipline. Anwar also directed the bank to pursue its founding…

AmBank has enabled Apple Pay for its debit cardholders, with payments now supported on PayNet’s MyDebit network. The move allows eligible domestic debit payments made through Apple Pay to remain on Malaysia’s local payment rails. PayNet operates the national MyDebit network. AmBank had already introduced Apple Pay for its credit cards, and the latest rollout extends the service to MyDebit cardholders. Customers can use Apple Pay for in-store, in-app and online purchases. For in-store payments, they can use an iPhone or Apple Watch, while in-app and web purchases are supported on iPhone, iPad and Mac. Users authenticate with Face ID,…