Hong Leong Bank (HLB) has signed an agreement with DCAP Digital Sdn Bhd to improve SME lending in Malaysia using advanced artificial intelligence (AI).
In a statement on Friday, HLB said this partnership supports its ongoing efforts to help small and medium-sized businesses grow by offering customized financial solutions. It also aims to improve its lending system and increase access to financial services for underbanked communities in the country.
Through this partnership, HLB plans to use DCAP Digital’s expertise in Lending-as-a-Service (LaaS) and its special AI-powered credit scoring system. This system helps give fairer and more accurate credit assessments. By combining this with HLB’s strong financial services and wide reach—especially in motorcycle and electric vehicle (EV) financing—they aim to offer loans that better match each customer’s business and financial needs.
In May 2025 alone, more than 61,000 new motorcycles were registered in Malaysia, showing strong demand in this market. However, many people—especially those with limited banking history—struggle to get financing because it’s hard to build strong credit profiles and complete KYC (Know Your Customer) checks efficiently.
“This represents a big step forward for HLB in terms of enhancing our lending services as we continuously look to streamline our financing processes to serve our dynamic pool of business customers better,” said Woon Siew Hoong, HLB’s Head of SME Banking.
“…we are committed to maintaining a comprehensive suite of banking solutions that are designed to suit our customers’ diverse needs while ensuring the solutions are deployed efficiently and seamlessly,
“Our partnership with DCAP Digital is a major milestone in this journey, where we combine AI integration, digital innovation, extensive market penetration and tailored financing solutions to provide a truly enhanced customer experience,” she added.
Through this partnership with DCAP Digital, HLB aims to support its growing number of motorcycle dealer customers. The goal is to make loan applications faster and smoother and to help dealers join the Bank’s Dealer Hire Purchase Program more easily.
HLB will also use DCAP Digital’s network to offer dealers other helpful financial services, like cash management, trade financing, and bank acceptance.
The partnership will include joint promotions such as workshops, seminars, marketing campaigns, and training sessions to help dealers learn how to apply more effectively and grow their businesses in the motorcycle industry.
“We are thrilled to partner with HLB to further our mission of promoting financial inclusion through AI-powered credit solutions,
“This collaboration merges HLB’s financial strength with our technology-driven approach, promoting seamless experiences, smart SME transformation and sustainable growth across the motorcycle ecosystem,” said Sonia Ng, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of DCAP Digital.
DCAP Digital, founded in 2020, focuses on offering transparent and fair credit services. It runs a full Lending-as-a-Service (LaaS) platform that helps lenders provide loans to trusted, pre-screened borrowers. The platform also includes innovative digital tools that make the process more efficient, transparent, and in line with regulations.
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