JAKARTA: Malaysia’s Affin Bank and Indonesia’s Bank Central Asia (BCA) have entered into a strategic collaboration to provide reciprocal privileges for their customers travelling between the two countries, covering healthcare, hospitality, dining, shopping and lifestyle.
Affin Bank president and group chief executive officer Datuk Wan Razly Abdullah said the partnership would allow BCA cardholders visiting Malaysia to enjoy exclusive privileges across Affin’s participating merchant network.
Meanwhile, Affin cardholders travelling to Indonesia would receive similar benefits through BCA’s participating merchants.
"This partnership comes at an exciting time for Malaysia and also Indonesia. Our two countries share more than geographical proximity. We are connected by history alongside growing flows of trade, investment and people,” he said in his remarks at the Affin Group-BCA Strategic Collaboration Signing Ceremony, here, Wednesday.
Wan Razly and BCA president director Hendra Lembong signed the collaboration agreement, marking strategic cooperation between the two banks.
Participating merchants in Malaysia include Sunway Medical Centre and Traders Hotel by Shangri-La, while those in Indonesia include Central Department Store, B-Art Clinic and Swiss-Belhotel International, covering healthcare, shopping, dining and hospitality.
Wan Razly said the partnership also extends beyond travel and lifestyle privileges to cultural ties between the two countries, highlighting Affin brand ambassador Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza, one of Malaysia’s most celebrated singers, who attended the ceremony and performed several of her hit songs.
As part of that connection, he noted that BCA customers had received exclusive pre-sale access to Siti Nurhaliza’s Gema Bumantara concert in Malaysia on Oct 17, while Affin customers received pre-sale access to Pagelaran Sabang Merauke at Indonesia Arena in Jakarta from Aug 21 to 23, he said.
Looking ahead, Wan Razly said the current collaboration was "only the beginning”, with opportunities for Affin and BCA to explore deeper cooperation as trade, investment and travel between Malaysia and Indonesia continue to grow.
This was reflected in Malaysia’s exports to Indonesia, which reached RM5.75 billion as of May 2026, up 42 per cent year-on-year, underscoring the growing economic ties between the two countries, he said.
He said potential areas for deeper collaboration include foreign exchange, trade finance, financing solutions and other cross-border banking capabilities, combining Affin’s strengths in these areas with BCA’s extensive reach in Indonesia.
"Together with BCA’s extensive capabilities and reach in Indonesia, we believe there is significant potential to create a stronger financial bridge between our two markets, and ultimately also across ASEAN,” he added. - Bernama
