KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 -- As buy now, pay later (BNPL) and other non-bank credit services become increasingly embedded in Malaysians' daily spending habits, their ease of access has also raised concerns about transparency, consumer protection and responsible lending practices.

Against this backdrop, the Consumer Credit Commission's (CCC) new Conduct Standards seek to strike a balance between convenience and protection, strengthening consumer safeguards while holding providers more accountable.

For those unfamiliar, the CCC - established under the Consumer Credit Act, which took effect on March 1 this year - is the primary regulatory authority tasked with licensing and regulating credit service providers that were once outside formal over...