How Do I Check If a Licence Is Real?
Quick answer: Use KPKT's i-KrediKom app or kpkt.gov.my to search the lender's company name or licence number directly — the only check that confirms current status. Licensing has run under the Moneylenders Act 1951 since then, administered by KPKT, not Bank Negara Malaysia; a number shown in an ad is a claim, not proof.
This is the actual, official check — not a workaround. KPKT (the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, not Bank Negara Malaysia) built the i-KrediKom app specifically so borrowers can search a company name or licence number and get a direct answer on current status. It's free, and it's the only verification that actually confirms anything — a licence number printed in an advertisement or shown on a signboard is a claim the lender is making, not independent proof.
Under the Moneylenders Act 1951 (Act 400), licensed lenders are required to display their original licence at their business premises, and every individual advertisement needs its own separate advertisement permit from the Registrar — a company can hold a valid lending licence and still be advertising illegally if a specific ad was never permitted. Multiple independent sources consistently describe genuine licence numbers as beginning with "WL" and advertising permit numbers with "WP," though the safest check is always i-KrediKom directly, not the prefix pattern alone.
One thing worth knowing: Bank Negara Malaysia doesn't regulate moneylending at all — BNM has published its own pages clarifying this and warning about fake licences falsely claiming BNM issuance, which tells you how common that confusion actually is.
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