microLEAP Disburses RM350 Mln In SME Financing In 1h 2025, Mulls Expansion Into Indonesia, Philippines
By Fatin Umairah Abdul Hamid
KUALA LUMPUR, July 8 (Bernama) -- Shariah-compliant peer-to-peer (P2P) financing platform microLEAP is drawing attention, having not only disbursed a commendable RM350 million in funding to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the first half of this year, but has also maintained the lowest default rate among all P2P operators in Malaysia at a mere 0.42 per cent.
The homegrown company, which has set its sights on expanding its operations further to the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia as well as Sabah and Sarawak, also harbours ambitions to penetrate regional markets in Indonesia and the Philippines.
“Our vision is to build a regional P2P financing ecosystem across Southeast Asia,” its founder and chief executive officer Tunku Danny Nasaifuddin Mudzaffar, told Bernama in an interview recently.
He said the success of the platform stems from it enabling businesses to raise funds directly from the public rather than through traditional financial institutions, making financing more accessible for underserved micro and small businesses. “We help small businesses grow by allowing everyday people, like you and me to fund them. This is how we take P2P financing to the next level,” he added.
He said the trading sector represents MicroLEAP’s largest financing segment, with one of its top issuers involved in exporting gloves to South Korea, Japan, the United States and Europe. “These businesses use our platform to finance the purchase of gloves for export to international markets,” he continued.
Commenting on the impact of the expansion of the sales and service tax (SST), Tunku Danny acknowledged it has been “a difficult pill to swallow” for SMEs, but expressed confidence that businesses will adapt over time. “After six months, we expect things to stabilise and return to business as usual,” he shared.
On MicroLEAP’s near-term priorities, he said the company is focused on deepening its presence in Malaysia over the next 12 to 18 months, particularly in the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah and Sarawak. “We are getting sales (volume) in the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, like Kelantan, and expanding further into Sabah and Sarawak, where we already have a presence. Our goal is to reach more micro and small enterprises in these areas,” he added.
Looking ahead to 2026, Tunku Danny said MicroLEAP plans to expand regionally into Indonesia and the Philippines, in line with “our vision to build a regional P2P financing ecosystem across Southeast Asia.”
Currently headquartered in the Klang Valley, MicroLEAP also operates in Ipoh, Penang, Johor, Sabah, Sarawak, and Kelantan.
-- BERNAMA