Malaysian banks lead ASEAN peers on service and brand CX

Points for improvement include more personalised banking journeys and providing a stronger employee experience.

Malaysia’s banks outperformed its ASEAN peers in service and brand experience, although they can still strengthen their employee experience and further personalise digital banking journeys, according to advisory firm Twimbit.

Traditional banks all feature full in-app journeys and biometric security, but only a few have real-time artificial intelligence (AI), next best action prompts or dynamic personalisation at scale, according to “The State of CX in ASEAN Banking Report 2026” published in October.

In contrast, digital banks in the country heavily have emerging AI-led personalisation, with AI-powered financial guidance, spending insights, and tailored product recommendations, it said.

Banks with 24/7 contact centres, in-app live chant, and empowered agents— RHB and Hong Leong Bank—outperform their peers in a market where customers suffer onboarding friction, cooling-off periods, or escalation delays, Twimbit said.

Amongst lenders, GX Bank led digital banks in overall customer experience (CX) with a score of 4.16 out of 5, whilst Maybank led traditional banks with a score of 4.14.

Maybank’s strength lies in its “security-led innovation, behaviour-based personalisation, and a broad omnichannel presence,” Twimbit said.

However, Twimbit noted onboarding friction, limited customer-facing AI capabilities, and inconsistent digital service availability in Maybank.

GXBank’s strengths are its rapid digital onboarding, AI-powered customer support, and fraud protection, the report said.

Malaysian banks’ next opportunity lies in strengthening employee experience and closing the gap with best-in-class institutions through more personalised digital journeys, empowered frontline teams, and consistent service delivery, according to Twimbit.