Author: Fintech News Malaysia

Payment gateway firm Fiuu processed more than US$8.3 billion in payments in the first nine months of 2025, up 32% from a year earlier as digital transactions surged across Southeast Asia. In October, Fiuu became the first payment acquirer in Malaysia to enable Samsung Pay Online for its ecommerce merchants. The service, now live with more than 300 merchants across sectors such as food and beverage, pharmacy, health and wellness, and entertainment, adds another payment option for consumers. The company has also deepened its partnerships with organisations such as PayNet, Pos Malaysia, Affin Bank, and others. Fiuu said it is…

In Southeast Asia, regulators are tightening their oversight of financial services marketing, placing financial institutions under pressure to monitor agent behavior, mitigate misinformation, and maintain brand trust. A new paper by Meltwater, an online media, social and consumer intelligence company from Norway, looks at how regulators are cracking down on unethical behavior such as misleading advertising and high-pressure sales tactics, highlighting recent regulatory developments amid the surge of financial influencers (finfluencers). In Malaysia, Securities Commission (SC) released in March 2025 a revised version of its Guidelines on Advertising for Capital Market Products and Related Services, taking into account evolving global…

The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) has launched investED for Returning Women, a training and re-entry programme to help women restart their careers in the capital market after a career break. Officiated by Deputy Finance Minister Lim Hui Ying, the initiative aims to equip participants with the knowledge, skills and opportunities needed to re-enter and thrive in the workforce. Announced in October, it has drawn more than 600 applications from women in their mid-30s to late 40s, many from the oil and gas, banking, finance and insurance sectors. Most cited family responsibilities and caregiving as the main reasons for leaving work.…

AEON Credit said it will inject RM125 million into its 50%-owned AEON Bank to strengthen the digital bank’s capital base and support future growth. According to The Edge, the additional subscription will preserve AEON Credit’s 50% equity stake, as joint venture partner AEON Financial Service will undertake a matching subscription to maintain the existing shareholding ratio. Upon completion, AEON Bank’s issued shares will increase from 550 million to 800 million. AEON Credit’s holdings will rise from 275 million to 400 million shares through the subscription of 125 million new shares at RM1 each. In total, both parties will inject RM250…

StashAway Malaysia has launched ETF Explorer, a new feature that lets Malaysians invest in global Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) across various assets and themes within minutes, without needing a foreign trading account. The platform aims to make global investing more accessible and affordable. While ETFs offer a cost-effective way to diversify, they can be difficult to navigate. Traditional brokerages often overwhelm investors with thousands of options, poor user experience, and limited guidance. ETF Explorer offers over 80 curated ETFs across equities, bonds, commodities, and themes such as US technology, artificial intelligence, and emerging markets. Each ETF includes clear explanations to help…

Malaysia ranks second globally in QR payment adoption, and Bank Negara’s governor says the same drive behind digital progress must now go into fighting scams and financial crimes. Speaking at the 15th International Conference on Financial Crime and Terrorism Financing (IFCTF), Datuk Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour said Malaysia’s digital shift has transformed daily transactions, with DuitNow now part of everyday life. But he warned that the same technologies enabling convenience are also being misused for AI-generated impersonation, propaganda and cyberattacks. His remarks followed the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Mutual Evaluation 2025, which reviewed Malaysia’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regime.…

Paywatch has closed its US$20 million Series A round with new investments from Malaysia’s Artem Ventures and South Korea’s Kakao Pay. The funding builds on an earlier tranche led by New York-based Third Prime and US investors, including Vanderbilt University and the University of Illinois Foundation. With additional credit lines from global banks, Paywatch has raised over US$50 million to date. The proceeds will support its expansion into a multi-product financial wellness platform for enterprises and workers across Southeast Asia, adding micro-insurance, global payments, and rewards to its Earned Wage Access (EWA) service. Artem Ventures invested through the FWD Group-backed…

LexisNexis Risk Solutions has launched a new Asia Pacific (APAC) data centre in Malaysia to strengthen its digital identity and fraud prevention capabilities across the region. The facility will process data for key markets in North Asia, Southeast Asia and Australia, improving the speed and stability of digital services for local customers. It complements the company’s existing cloud hosting facility in Australia and its first APAC data centre in India, which opened in 2023. Designed based on the company’s existing global data centres, the new facility enables regional clients to access the LexisNexis Digital Identity Network, which analyses more than…

Merchantrade Asia has entered the ATM business, rolling out more than 1,000 cash access points nationwide after receiving regulatory approval to operate as an ATM acquirer. The initiative, developed with Visa and security firm Safeguards, aims to expand cash access for millions, including migrant workers and rural communities. Through a Visa Sponsor BIN arrangement, Merchantrade is sponsoring over 1,000 Safeguards-operated ATMs to enable Visa debit, credit, prepaid and international cardholders to withdraw cash. The company is also introducing Malaysia’s first brown label ATM model, which leverages Safeguards’ existing infrastructure, including MEPS functionality, and is enhanced with Merchantrade’s branding and Visa’s…

Brankas has partnered with INFOPRO to enhance digital lending and credit management for banks across Southeast Asia. The collaboration combines Brankas’ open finance infrastructure with INFOPRO’s AI-powered banking solutions to help financial institutions make faster, data-informed credit decisions and deliver more tailored financial products. The partnership was formalised through a memorandum of understanding signed during INFOPRO’s “Strategic Credit Management” event in Malaysia. INFOPRO brings experience from over 100 digital transformation projects across 30 countries, while Brankas contributes its expertise in secure API connectivity and data-sharing frameworks. The initiative comes as Malaysia prepares to roll out its Open Finance framework under…

More than 13 million Malaysians benefited from about RM800 million in fuel subsidies during the first month of the BUDI MADANI RON95 (Budi95) programme, which began on 30 September 2025. The Ministry of Finance (MOF) said 16.55 million citizens have been approved to buy RON95 petrol at the subsidised price of RM1.99 per litre, exceeding the government’s initial target of 15 million. Without the subsidy, the fuel would cost RM2.60 per litre. As of 31 October 2025, 13.1 million people had used their Budi95 benefits, purchasing 1.33 billion litres of subsidised RON95 worth RM2.66 billion. This includes over 23,000 registered…

We’ve entered the “Do It for Me” era of finance, a world where consumers no longer want tools; they want outcomes. Agentic AI in financial services represents the next logical step in that evolution: intelligence that goes beyond predicting and recommending to acting on behalf of users, learning from their context, and making decisions that once required them in the loop. According to the Financial Times, the global market for agentic AI in financial services is expected to grow by more than 40% annually, reaching over US$80 billion by 2034. That pace of growth points to a fundamental shift in…

In a world where everything from food to finance can be done with a tap, it’s natural to wonder: why is buying a car still so complicated? Despite the rapid rise of digital banks and fintech apps reshaping how we manage money, vehicle financing has stubbornly remained stuck in the slow lane. That’s exactly the gap Tras sets out to close. A proud member of the DRB-HICOM Group, Tras is Malaysia’s first specialised digital automotive financing platform built to modernise how people finance their car purchases. Where most digital financial institutions focus broadly on e-wallets, savings, or investments, Tras focuses…

Private equity firm Creador has appointed Dato’ Syed Yasir Arafat Bin Syed Abd Kadir as Senior Advisor to support its strategic investment initiatives in Malaysia. In this role, he will focus on identifying and facilitating opportunities across the healthcare and pharmaceutical, advanced manufacturing, and B2B services sectors. He will also work closely with Creador’s investment team to provide sector insights, origination strategies, and strategic guidance. Dato’ Syed brings nearly three decades of experience in investment and corporate finance. He previously served as CEO of Ekuiti Nasional Berhad (Ekuinas) for nine years and held senior leadership roles there from 2009 to…

Maybank Asset Management Singapore is moving into tokenised finance, launching its first on-chain Money Market Fund with Marketnode and BNP Paribas. The collaboration marks a significant step in enhancing the accessibility, utility, and transferability of money market funds as the financial industry explores the potential of tokenisation. BNP Paribas’ Securities Services business will act as the transfer agent, supporting the integration of tokenised funds into existing capital markets infrastructure. The initiative leverages Marketnode’s modular gateway platform, which provides the tokenisation architecture to improve efficiency, transparency, and connectivity across the investment value chain. Gateway supports both EVM and non-EVM networks, with…

Indian travellers will soon be able to pay Malaysian merchants directly using India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI), with transactions settled instantly in ringgit. Razorpay Curlec has partnered with NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) to introduce UPI payments in Malaysia, marking the first collaboration of its kind. The agreement was signed at India’s Global Fintech Fest 2025. The partnership simplifies cross-border payments for the one million Indian tourists who visited Malaysia in 2024, spending RM6.11 billion, up 71.7% from the previous year. Travellers can pay through familiar UPI apps, while Malaysian merchants receive instant settlements in ringgit via Razorpay Curlec’s platform…

JAGS Money Sdn. Bhd. is once again facing regulatory consequences, with Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) imposing RM87,000 in fines for compliance failures detected during an inspection. The penalties comprise a RM17,400 administrative monetary penalty imposed on 19 September 2025 for customer due diligence breaches involving transactions above RM3,000, and a RM69,600 compound issued on 31 July 2025 for failing to issue receipts to customers. The AMP was imposed under the Money Services Business Act 2011 and the Anti-Money Laundering, Countering Financing of Terrorism and Targeted Financial Sanctions Policy Document, while the compound was issued with the consent of the Deputy…

TNG Digital has added an EV charging feature to its e-wallet, allowing drivers in Malaysia and Singapore to find, activate, and pay for charging across multiple charge point operators through one app. Powered by Voltality, a wholly owned subsidiary of Beep, the new feature connects users to various EV charging networks without requiring separate operator apps. Payments are processed directly through TNG eWallet, with automatic deductions and near-instant refunds for any unutilised balance, without the need for card entry, separate top-ups, or multiple accounts. The service currently provides access to more than 6,000 charging points across 1,700 locations in both…

Maybank has facilitated more than RM4 trillion in digital transactions over the past five years, following the launch of its MAE app in 2020. The total transaction value is roughly equivalent to twice Malaysia’s GDP. Maybank also reported that it ranks first in both the number and value of transactions across PayNet services, including DuitNow transfers and QR payments, FPX, and JomPAY. As the first bank in Malaysia to introduce QR payments in 2017, Maybank has expanded its cashless network, enabling instant payments via Scan & Pay at zero transaction fee. Transactions through the MAE app grew 51 times between…

The ASEAN Artificial Intelligence Safety Network (ASEAN AI Safe) will set up its regional headquarters in Kuala Lumpur early next year, the Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo announced. According to Bernama, the ASEAN AI Safe Secretariat will coordinate regional initiatives to strengthen collaboration and advance safe and responsible AI development across member states. The network aims to bring together all ASEAN countries to build a trustworthy, inclusive, and secure AI ecosystem. It will operate in line with regional frameworks such as the ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025, the Guidelines on AI Governance and Ethics, and the ASEAN Responsible AI Roadmap 2025–2030, while…