You can check your credit report with three Credit Reporting Agencies (CRAs) in Malaysia. These CRAs are governed under the Credit Reporting Agencies Act 2010 and registered to the Registrar Office of Credit Reporting Agencies.

1. Central Credit Reference Information System (CCRIS)

The Credit Bureau manages the Central Credit Reference Information System (CCRIS), which is created and owned by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM). The CCRIS synthesises credit information about a borrower or potential borrowers into standardised credit reports.

The information is available to financial institutions like banks and the individuals themselves upon request. There are three ways you can obtain your credit report from CCRIS:

BNM’s Customer Service Centre

BNM has CCRIS kiosks located in its offices across Malaysia, as well as at the BNMLINK Kuala Lumpur and in AKPK offices nationwide. All you need to do is show up with your MyKad or passport.

These offices are open Mondays to Fridays from 9am to 5pm; with the exception of the Kuala Terengganu branch that operates from Sunday to Thursday. For more information on where the branches are located, visit BNM’s website.

By email, fax, or post.

If you can’t make the trip to BNM, you request your credit score from CCRIS by correspondence. This can be done by email, fax, or traditional mail. If you are planning on using the postage service, we recommend using registered mail in order to track its progress.

You will need to provide the following in order to make a request in this manner:

• Credit report request form;



• Loan declaration form;



• A clear copy of your MyKad (front and back); and



• Any combination of two of the following documents: water bill, electricity bill, telephone bill, bank account statement, credit card statement, or EPF statement.

As your report will be sent to your nearest financial institution, this process will take up to four weeks. However, the cost is free.

eCCRIS

BNM introduced a free online solution for checking your CCRIS report back in January 2018. However, like other government agencies, it requires you to first register for an online account with BNM. To do this, you will need to:

• Request for your 6-digit eCCRIS PIN and verify your identity at any BNMLINK Kuala Lumpur, BNM Offices or AKPK branch. The PIN will be sent to your registered mobile phone number.



• Perform your first time login at the eCCRIS site using your IC number and PIN.



• Create your user profile with username, password, and three security questions.



• You can now return at any time to view your credit report by logging in and selecting “Check ENQUIRY > Self Enquiry – Individual”

2. RAM Credit Information (RAMCI)

RAM Credit Information Sdn Bhd (RAMCI) is a licensed credit rating agency under the purview of the Ministry of Finance Malaysia. It is part of the RAM Holdings Berhad established in 2015.

RAMCI has its own credit score called the i-Score. The i-Score is available in its Personal Credit Report Plus, which costs RM19.50 per report. Other than the i-Score, the report also includes your banking information (CCRIS), Skim Potongan Gaji Angkasa (SPGA), PTPTN, trade references (Non-Banking Info), litigation history and more.

3. iMoney CreditScore

Another way to check your i-Score is through iMoney CreditScore. The iMoney CreditScore pulls data from RAMCI’s i-Score, and also includes additional information for the user. This includes advice on what needs to be done to improve a low score.

Like eCCRIS, iMoney CreditScore is free to use. However, the signup process is completely online and doesn’t require you to first register in person at an office.

4. CTOS

Similar to RAMCI, CTOS is registered under the Credit Reporting Agencies Act 2010. It is a Credit Reporting Agency that collates and provides individuals with their credit reports that detail their credit history for the past 24 months, legal proceedings, company ownership and directorship, and even testimonies from companies that they have business dealings with.

To check your CTOS Score, you will need to purchase the MyCTOS Score Report at RM25. This report includes your CTOS Score, CCRIS records, and dishonoured cheques.

How do banks check my credit score?

In general, banks communicate with BNM and other credit rating agencies in order to ascertain your credit score. However, they also have their own customer database from which they use to influence the rating.

The exact specifics of what goes on behind the scenes is a closely guarded secret, and each bank has its own methodology. Banks do not solely rely on your credit score to determine your risk as a customer. There are a number of other unknown factors that are taken into account, even if your bank does not tell you that it is happening.

Basically, it is important to understand that your credit score is not a guaranteed representation of whether you qualify for a particular financial product. It is only an indication of your financial health and how well you handle debt.