This article first appeared in Digital Edge, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on March 24, 2025 - March 30, 2025

Alipay+ has emerged as the largest contributor to cross-border inbound QR payments via DuitNow, driving more than 80% of transactions and creating new growth opportunities for Malaysian small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Enabled through a partnership between Payments Network Malaysia (PayNet) and Ant International, the service allows international travellers to pay seamlessly at more than 2.5 million DuitNow QR touchpoints across Malaysia.

Since its launch in October 2023, Alipay+ has expanded to support 15 global e-wallets, including Alipay, Kakao Pay, GCash and TrueMoney. Transaction volumes rose 50% quarter on quarter in 2024, with merchant revenue during the peak December travel season increasing sixfold from 2023.

Top destinations include Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Melaka, Johor Bahru and Kota Kinabalu, with strong spending on local food, wellness, culture and nature activities. PayNet and Ant International plan to further grow SME participation as Malaysia targets 35.6 million tourists for the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign.

The Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (Content Forum) has launched a nationwide initiative to gather public and industry feedback on proposed revisions to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Content Code (Content Code), and invites Malaysians from all backgrounds to play an active role in shaping the nation’s digital content standards.

This crucial feedback drive follows the recent amendments to the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 588) and aims to ensure that the Content Code remains relevant and inclusive, while reflecting technological advancements and evolving societal expectations.

The revisions will further refine key provisions to strike a balance between protecting against harm and preserving fundamental freedoms, ensuring a safer and more robust content ecosystem.

With rapid digital transformation, the way content is produced, distributed and consumed is evolving at an unprecedented pace. The Content Forum is committed to ensuring the Code keeps up with these shifts, offering updated guidelines that address emerging ethical and regulatory challenges.

Individuals, industry professionals, content creators, consumers and civil society organisations are encouraged to share their insights and suggestions, as public feedback is essential in shaping Malaysia’s content governance.

The public can submit feedback from now until May 31 via www.contentforum.my. The Content Forum will review all submissions and conduct a public consultation to refine the revisions before finalising the updated Content Code.

Malaysia recorded the highest rate of personal data leaks among key Asian markets, according to the Whoscall Annual Report 2024 released on March 3 by TrustTech service provider Gogolook.

The report, which analyses scam data collected between January this year and December 2024 from Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and the Philippines, highlights the growing risk of personal data breaches fuelling targeted scams across the region.

Among the countries studied, Malaysia recorded the highest rate of personal data leaks, with 72.5% of users who checked their status via Whoscall’s ID Security feature discovering their information had been compromised.

“While phone numbers were the most leaked data across all countries among users, Malaysia stands out for its high rate of name leaks at 89%, followed by addresses and emails. This makes impersonation scams more convincing as scammers exploit leaked names to pose as banks, government agencies or delivery services,” says Voon Chang Liew, business development director at Gogolook Malaysia.

Scam calls rose by 82.81%, while SMS scams increased by 19.97%, showing that scammers are relying more on calls while still using text messages to deceive victims, with banking fraud, gambling scams and phishing being the most common types of fraud reported.

This rise in scam activity correlates with increased financial losses as fraudsters exploit leaked personal data and use AI-driven deception tactics to target victims more effectively.

“AI-driven scams, including deepfake videos of celebrities and politicians, are making it easier to deceive victims into fraudulent investments or phishing traps. These scams are becoming harder to detect, especially for the elderly, who are often targeted because of their financial savings,” said Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf, director of the Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID).

42 Malaysia, a coding school under Sunway Group, has partnered with AmBank Group to drive tech talent development and innovation. AmBank is committing RM3 million over three years to support 42 Malaysia’s mission of producing industry-ready digital talent and strengthening the country’s tech pipeline.

This collaboration connects education with industry needs, offering students real-world experience, career opportunities and involvement in industry projects. 42 Malaysia will also serve as an R&D hub, enabling students to tackle real-world challenges through hackathons and innovation workshops.

Part of a global network of coding schools, 42 Malaysia uses a peer-learning, project-based model that removes barriers to education — no tuition fees, no prior experience required. Open to anyone aged 17 and above, the school focuses on hands-on learning in areas such as network security, scalable web apps and AI-driven solutions.

Since its launch in Kuala Lumpur in 2020, 42 Malaysia has upskilled more than 1,200 students, helping many transition to tech careers. It has expanded to Johor and Penang, and will soon include Sabah and Sarawak.

Sunway Group has invested RM10 million to grow the 42 network, supporting Malaysia’s ambition to be a regional digital economy leader by making world-class tech education widely accessible.

SEEK Pass, a verified credential passport by SEEK, is now available on the Jobstreet and Jobsdb platforms in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Hong Kong. It aims to help job seekers stand out by verifying their work and educational credentials, offering employers greater confidence in their hiring decisions.

Job competition is rising, with Jobstreet Malaysia reporting a 35% year-on-year increase in applications per job ad in 2024.

Through a partnership with Accredify, SEEK Pass enables verification of educational qualifications from participating universities, starting with Sunway University. This feature helps fresh graduates differentiate themselves in a crowded job market while allowing employers to streamline hiring with pre-verified credentials.

SEEK Pass builds on its success in Australia and New Zealand, where verified applications are 10% more likely to be shortlisted. In Asia, it offers varying verification features. Malaysia leads with expanded capabilities, allowing identity and education verification, alongside workplace history. More universities are expected to join, expanding the benefits of verified hiring across the region.

RED ALERT

The number of Trojan banker attacks on smartphones rose a whopping 196% to 1.24 million last year from 420,000 in 2023, according to a Kaspersky report, The Mobile Malware Threat Landscape in 2024.

Cybercriminals are changing tactics by relying on mass malware distribution to steal banking credentials. In the past year, Kaspersky has detected more than 33.3 million attacks on smartphone users globally, involving various types of malware and unwanted software.

The Trojan banker malware is designed to steal user credentials for online banking, e-payment services and credit card systems. Cybercriminals would trick victims into downloading the malware by spreading links via messages, or make use of malicious attachments and websites. They would often exploit trending news and hype topics in their schemes, and even make use of a hacked contact’s account to appear more trustworthy.

Kaspersky has found that even apps from official stores such as the Apple App Store and Google Play are not always risk-free. The recently discovered SparkCat, a screenshot-stealing malware that bypassed App Store’s security and was found to have infected 20 apps on both platforms, proves that these stores are not 100% foolproof.

Kaspersky recommends that users always check an app thoroughly before downloading, only use links from reliable websites and install reliable security software that can detect and block malicious activity.

The company also recommends that users check the permissions of apps and think carefully before granting high-risk permissions such as to Accessibility Services. It advises users to always update operating systems and important apps as soon as updates become available, since many safety issues can be solved by installing updated versions of software.

In another report, Kaspersky Digital Footprint Intelligence estimates that 2.3 million bank cards were leaked on the dark web. Its report reveals that infostealer malware targets not only financial information but also credentials, cookies and other valuable user data. These are compiled into log files and distributed among underground cybercriminal communities.

Based on analyses of 2023/24 data-stealing malware logs, 95% of leaked cards appear technically valid, although globally the share is less than 1%. Infostealers infect devices through malicious files, phishing links, compromised websites or email attachments, targeting both personal and corporate devices.

On average, every 14th infostealer infection results in stolen credit card information. Nearly 26 million Windows devices were infected over the past two years.

In 2024, Redline was the most widespread infostealer at 34% of infections. Risepro saw the most significant growth, from 1.4% in 2023 to nearly 23% in 2024, while Stealc grew from 3% to 13%.

Users are advised to monitor bank notifications, change passwords, enable two-factor authentication and set spending limits if a data leak is suspected. Companies should monitor the dark web for compromised data and Kaspersky recommends that companies leverage their Digital Footprint Intelligence to track what cybercriminals know about the company’s assets, identify potential attack vectors and implement protective measures in a timely manner.

KC Global Media Asia appointed Lee-Asha Dukhie as its new director and head of digital marketing on Feb 28. Dukhie will be responsible for overseeing all digital marketing efforts while working closely with Serious Media, the company’s marketing agency, to shape its digital strategy across the organisation’s social media platforms and digital properties.

Cloud computing company Nutanix has appointed Jay Tuseth as vice-president and general manager for Asia-Pacific and Japan (APJ). He reports to chief revenue officer Andrew Brinded.

Based in Singapore, Tuseth brings extensive enterprise experience, having previously led Asia-Pacific operations at Conviva and held leadership roles at Oracle, Dell Technologies and EMC. He will oversee Nutanix’s regional growth, drive customer success and strengthen partnerships across APJ.

COMPETITION

East Ventures and Temasek Foundation have launched the third edition of the Climate Impact Innovations Challenge (CIIC) 2025, inviting climate tech innovators to apply for the competition aimed at piloting solutions in Indonesia.

With a total prize pool of IDR10 billion (RM2.7 million), CIIC 2025 empowers innovators to develop minimum viable products with the potential for commercialisation, focusing on solutions that tackle ecological challenges and mitigate climate change impacts.

This year’s competition features three main tracks: Energy Transition, Sustainable Agriculture and Circular Economy. Recognising the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in driving innovation, CIIC 2025 also encourages solutions that incorporate AI into any of these focus areas.

Applicants must submit original, impactful and commercially viable proposals that address key challenges in at least one track. Solutions should be feasible, scalable and capable of rapid adoption in large-scale settings.

The competition runs from March to September 2025, with the application period open from March to June. Selected finalists will pilot their solutions in Indonesia as part of the challenge.

For more information and to apply, visit the official CIIC website at climateimpactinnovations.com.

The lunar eclipse captured on March 14 in Austin, the US. The last lunar eclipse occurred in November 2022.

The superpower of our species is the ability to organise ourselves to pursue a variety of goals. But organisations are also communities of connection, meaning and shared purpose — the natural habitat of human beings.

Balancing the goal- and human-centric aspects of organisations has always been hard but digitalisation and, in particular, rapid developments in artificial intelligence algorithms can make it harder.

In a book written for anyone who works in or leads organisations of any type or size, Phanish Puranam, a globally recognised expert on organisation design, explains how we can navigate the rapid digitalisation of organisations in a way that improves their goal-centricity without sacrificing their human-centricity. — Amazon

Wacom has redesigned its Intuos Pro Pen Tablets, offering enhanced precision and efficiency for illustrators, photo editors, videographers and 3D artists.

The new Pro Pen 3 is fully customisable with interchangeable grips and programmable buttons, designed to fit individual workflows. Battery- and maintenance-free, it also comes with two nib types, including a slip-resistant rubber nib that reduces wear when used on the tablet’s improved textured surface.

Available in three sizes, the tablets feature a 16:9 drawing area and a slimmer, lighter design. They support Bluetooth connectivity with up to 16 hours of wireless use and can connect to three devices — one via USB and two wirelessly.

Compatible with both Windows and Mac, the Intuos Pro works seamlessly with creative apps such as Adobe Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint and Rebelle 7. It also includes Wacom Yuify for embedding digital micromarks.

Available for purchase at https://shopee.com.my/wacom.os. Priced at RM1,290 (small), RM1,990 (medium) and RM2,690 (large).

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