- Renewed partnership focuses on tourism, fraud prevention, talent & sustainability
- Both firms will promote sustainability in payments, focusing on SME inclusion, tech access & ESG
Payments Network Malaysia Sdn Bhd (PayNet), Malaysia’s national payments network, and Ant International, a leading global digital payments, digitisation and financial technology provider, have expanded their partnership with a new Memorandum of Understanding. In a joint statement, the parties said the MoU was signed at Malaysia’s flagship fintech event, MyFintech Week 2025, in the presence of Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour, governor of Bank Negara Malaysia.
The renewed partnership focuses on four key areas: driving tourism through cross-border digital payments, strengthening fraud defences, talent development, and advancing sustainability. The MoU marks a major milestone in enabling global acceptance of Malaysia’s national QR standard, DuitNow QR, via Ant International’s Alipay+ global wallet gateway.
Malaysian travellers will soon be able to use their local e-wallets or banking apps across Alipay+’s 100 million-strong global merchant network. This new outbound linkage extends DuitNow QR’s reach worldwide, giving Malaysians seamless access abroad to their preferred payment app.
Douglas Feagin, president of Ant International, said, “Ant International has contributed to Malaysia’s innovation and growth story for over a decade, thanks to the country’s visionary digital economy agenda and the support of industry leaders like PayNet. We are committed to deepening our investments and partnerships in Malaysia, strengthening its position as a key fintech hub in Southeast Asia, and driving inclusive growth in the region and beyond with world-class innovation and entrepreneurship.”
PayNet’s group CEO, Farhan Ahmad, added, “Ant International is a global payments leader and this next phase of our partnership demonstrates the strength of Malaysia’s national payments infrastructure and our ability to scale it globally. Not only will this partnership drive global acceptance of DuitNow payments, it marks the start of deeper collaboration around fraud reduction, talent development, and building a more inclusive, sustainable and resilient digital payments ecosystem – benefiting Malaysians at home and abroad, as well as tourists visiting our country.”
The partnership builds on the first MoU signed in August 2023, which enabled Alipay+ payments to be accepted locally through DuitNow QR. Today, Alipay+ allows users of 15 international payment partners to scan and pay at more than 2.6 million DuitNow QR merchants across Malaysia.
This ease of payment enhances Malaysia’s appeal to tourists and channels spending directly to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), strengthening their role in the economy. To support Malaysia’s target of 45 million tourists ahead of Visit Malaysia 2026, Ant International and PayNet will ramp up global campaigns to boost tourism and expand SME visibility through the tourist market.
To tackle cross-border scams and fraud, the two organisations will collaborate on advanced security technology, threat intelligence sharing and fraud risk audits, leveraging Ant International’s AI-powered defence systems.
They are also expanding efforts in fintech talent development to support the wider payments ecosystem. Together, they launched PayHack, Malaysia’s largest intervarsity hackathon, offering students opportunities to showcase ideas, solve problems, network, and receive mentorship from industry leaders.
Through its Digital Business Centre in Kuala Lumpur, and initiatives such as 10×1000 Tech for Inclusion, Ant International will continue working with PayNet and local partners, including the Fintech Association of Malaysia, to develop next-generation fintech talent.
In parallel, the two companies will launch a joint programme to promote sustainability and social impact initiatives in the payments ecosystem, focusing on SME inclusion and technology accessibility, while building on local ESG projects.
With PayNet’s trusted infrastructure and Ant International’s global reach, the expanded MoU enables seamless payments for Malaysians abroad while strengthening the domestic economy. From powering cross-border interoperability to nurturing talent, advancing security and promoting inclusive innovation, the partnership lays the foundation for a future-ready, inclusive global digital economy.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
