Tag: Capital A

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Following the recent launch of the #TimeToListen campaign video highlighting all forms of diversity, Capital A has announced that it has signed one of the campaign’s ambassadors Airliftz for a record deal that would further the diversity platform of the campaign. The deal was inked by airasia Super App’s entertainment venture RedRecords. 

‘Time To Listen’ campaign by Capital A

The 23-year old Kajang boy, Aliff Shaharom, who goes by the artist moniker Aliftz was born with a nose missing cartilage, making him instantly recognizable by his unconventional appearance. In the five-minute campaign previously released on the company’s YouTube, the young musician talked about his struggles in overcoming social prejudice and discrimination growing up.

The rapper and producer said the spunky pop-punk single ‘NOT TODAY’ draws from his own life story of obstacles and challenges, and hopes it can spark hope for change for those who are ready to listen.

“I feel so honoured to be able to share my life story for the #TimeToListen campaign and inspire others with my message. I am very grateful to be given the voice to speak and feel confident to face the world with music charting new territories with the latest record deal with RedRecords,” said Airliftz.

Content strategist at AirAsia Izal Azlee said the company felt that it was a fitting cause for the young artist to inspire and represent a generation, hence, the platform for Airliftz to speak his truth.

“We were so touched by Airliftz’s story of perseverance and determination that we handpicked him to deliver the message for our #TimeToListen campaign,” said Azlee.

Airliftz’s journey as a young, genre-fluid artist spans the better part of a decade. Since the inception of his career in 2016, Airliftz has repeatedly proven himself to naysayers and sceptics by beating the odds and achieving new heights. 

CEO of RedRecords Hassan Choudhury said, “When we first saw Airliftz, we were immediately moved by his story and blown away by his talent and the burgeoning star power, and signed him on the spot as the label’s first Malaysian artist. As a joint venture with Universal Music Group, we are very proud of what he has achieved in the music industry, especially his debut single which will soon be available on all music platforms. We truly believe it can inspire others to tell the world their unique stories.”

The ‘NOT TODAY’ single will be available on all digital platforms from 11 March, and will also have an accompanying music video premiering at 9 pm on Airliftz’s YouTube channel.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – BigPay Later, a wholly owned subsidiary of Capital A’s venture company BigPay, has announced the launch of its first personal loan product. This makes BigPay the first product to have a full digital personal lending product as part of its offering in Malaysia.

As the overwhelming demand for personal loans products continues to increase, it will be rolled out to more users over the coming weeks. In addition, BigPay Later Personal Loans is currently available to selected users.

Salim Dhanani, CEO and co-founder at BigPay, said that they believe that the launch of their personal loans product is unique with the level of transparency, the ease of use and the way in which they do their credit scoring that doesn’t only look at the history of past loans, but also at customer behaviour. He added that the launch of the personal loans product brings them one step closer to bridging the financial inclusion gap.

“The pandemic has highlighted how important it is that people have access to versatile, easy-to-use financial solutions. Many underserved demographics in Malaysia lack access to the credit they need because they do not have the typically “acceptable” credit history which is required by traditional banks – this directly impacts the ability to build long term financial standing. We have always been committed to democratising financial services through accessibility and education across Southeast Asia,” Dhanani said.

Meanwhile, Tony Fernandes, CEO at Capital A, commented, “We are very proud of BigPay Later’s launch of the first digital personal loans product. BigPay has the ability to leverage Capital A’s rich database and customers that have strong loyalty to our brands. BigPay shares the same ethos and principles as Capital A and AirAsia: focusing on affordability, accessibility as well as inclusivity. We are excited that we can disrupt once again and give the common man, from SMEs, small entrepreneurs to the mass public, the same accessibility to easy, simple loans and other outstanding financial services.”

The company notes that BigPay Later’s personal loans have competitive interest rates which are lower than standard credit card rates and easier to apply for with it being an all digital process. Users can generate an instant quote using the in-app loan calculator to ensure affordability, then fill in their personal details via the app to apply. 

Additional documents are not usually required and the application can be approved within minutes. The personal product issued by BigPay Later is fully regulated by Malaysia’s Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT).

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – AirAsia Group Berhad, the Malaysian-based multinational company consisting of multiple endeavours from its low-cost airline to its super-app, has announced a corporate brand refresh with a new group name: Capital A. Said rebranding reflects the groups’ new core business strategy as an investment holding company with a portfolio of synergistic travel and lifestyle businesses.

It should be recalled that the announcement of the rebrand was first made through a filing on Bursa Malaysia, the stock exchange in Malaysia, on 28 December 2021.

For Tony Fernandes, CEO of AirAsia, now Capital A, the rebrand is not just about unveiling a new logo and name but rather celebrating a significant milestone that marks a new era for the Group. He also added that the announcement reinforces that they are no longer just an airline anymore.

“While the airline will always underpin the AirAsia brand, it has long been my firm intention, well before COVID hit, to leverage the strong data we have built up over 20 years and incorporate industry-leading new technologies to offer a broad range of products and services, over and above selling just airfares. The pandemic has allowed us to accelerate that strategy,” Fernandes said.

He also added that the group has continuously evolved based on driving innovation and meeting ever-changing consumer demand, stating that the strategy behind the change of name is to introduce a new corporate identity that better reflects the Group’s core businesses today and its future undertakings, in tandem with our rapid transformation from an airline into a one-stop digital travel and lifestyle services group. 

Fernandes believes that the new company name will also further enhance the marketability of their products and boost the success of the Group for the long haul.

“Essentially Capital A is an investment company with a broad portfolio of businesses which all deliver the best value at the lowest cost, supported by strong data built up over two decades. We also have one of Asia’s leading brands to ride on, a strong people-first culture and an underlying promise of remaining committed to serving the underserved in all that we do. Just like what the airline has done from day one, all of our different lines of business will deliver the same strategy that is underscored by doing what we do best – making travel and everyday lifestyle services affordable, accessible and inclusive to all,” Fernandes explained.

In regards to the group’s airline service, Fernandes clarified that the airline won’t be changing its name, stating that it is one of the strongest brands in Asia and provides a solid platform for all of their other products and services to leverage from each other.

“Even though the last two years have been the most difficult and disrupted years in the history of commercial aviation, I welcome the year ahead with much greater confidence. Domestic air travel has already started to rebound in our key markets. While there may be some delays for international flights to return to pre-Covid levels due to the Omicron variant, I believe this will be short-lived as many global health experts are also predicting, alongside accelerated vaccines and booster shots as well as the world gradually learning to live with COVID,” he added.

Capital A aims to hit multiple visions by 2026, which includes its airlines connecting over 1 billion people in ASEAN, its airasia Super App being the super app of choice in ASEAN, 10 million monthly active users for their digital bank BigPay, 5 million sign ups for its edutech arm AirAsia Academy, and over 21 million monthly orders on airasia grocer, its online grocery service.

The company has long expanded its portfolio of companies and projects, from its venture to e-commerce, ride-hailing, and digital banking, towards lifestyle endeavors such as its super app, a record collaboration called Red Records, and its VTuber agency project, Project Kavvaii.