Author: Fintech News Malaysia

Chubb Insurance Malaysia has begun the IPO process for a planned Main Market listing on Bursa Malaysia, based on a draft prospectus published for public feedback. Reuters reported that the insurer plans to sell 300 million existing shares, equal to 30 percent of its issued capital. The entire offering is an offer for sale by its sole shareholder, Chubb INA International Holdings. As all the shares are existing shares, the proceeds will go to Chubb INA rather than the Malaysian operating entity. The draft does not include details on valuation or the expected listing date. The institutional portion totals 249.55…

Malaysians are losing between RM200 and RM350 on each overseas trip due to exchange rate markups they do not see, according to new research by international money app Wise. This is happening even as many spend up to two days searching for flight and hotel deals. The study found that 31 percent of travellers believe they save more than RM500 through promotions, but only 41 percent check exchange rates. A RM2,500 weekend in Singapore can cost RM180 to RM250 more and a RM5,000 Bangkok trip may rise by RM350 to RM450. Even a RM15 latte in Melbourne effectively becomes RM16.50…

FeedMe has raised US$5 million in funding led by Integra Partners, with participation from Cento Ventures. The Malaysia-based restaurant software company will use the capital to expand into Thailand, strengthen its engineering team and advance its AI-driven capabilities. It also plans to introduce financial services that improve payment access and lending options for merchants. FeedMe offers a restaurant management platform that brings together POS, delivery integrations, e-invoicing, QR ordering, queue management, payments, accounting, kitchen display systems, HR tools, inventory, CRM and AI operation tools. The system is designed to unify front- and back-of-house operations on a single platform. The company…

Webull is partnering with AHAM Capital to launch Moneybull, a cash management product that helps investors earn returns on idle cash. Moneybull allocates uninvested balances into the AHAM Aiiman Enhanced i-Profit Fund-Class B, a Shariah-compliant money market fund managed by AHAM Capital. The fund reportedly offers daily returns of up to 3.4 percent per annum with no lock-in period. Cash moves automatically through Webull’s Auto Sweep function and can be used immediately for stock purchases on Bursa Malaysia. Webull said the feature carries no subscription, redemption, or additional platform fees. “Moneybull reflects the next step in making investing a part…

Alliance Bank Malaysia has gone live with an AI-powered Retail Loan Origination System developed by CTOS Data Systems and JurisTech as part of its push to modernise retail lending. The project, initiated in May 2023, focuses on automation, improved decisioning accuracy and faster turnaround times. The platform manages the full loan lifecycle from lead management and digital onboarding to decisioning, disbursement and credit administration. It is built for straight-through processing and multi-product origination, with the first production release completed within a year. Since implementation, the bank has recorded more than a 30 percent improvement in application turnaround time and staff…

Malaysia’s listed companies continued to strengthen their governance standards in 2025, although board diversity and senior pay transparency remain among the weakest areas, the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) said in its latest review. The SC released the Corporate Governance Monitor 2025, which provides data-driven insights to guide targeted interventions and support policy enhancements. The report tracks how public listed companies apply the Malaysian Code on Corporate Governance. The MCCG will be revised next year, its first update since 2021. Thirty-three of the 48 best practices recorded adoption levels of at least 90 percent, up from 30 practices in 2024. More…

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…