CCRIS (Central Credit Reference Information System)is actually a credit database system that is maintained by Bank Negara. Every able Malaysians, businesses and companies will have their credit information updated to CCRIS.
All participating financial institutions will have access to this database to asses your credit ratings before deciding to give any loans to you.
CCRIS records will typically be kept for 12 months. While a bank will usually reject for application for any 2 months outstanding payment.
Central Credit Reference Information System, also popularly known as CCRIS is a service platform and centralized system created by the central bank of Malaysia, Bank Negara that compiles the information and data on your outstanding loan amount and repayment history for the last 12 months and this can be done at any given time. However, records that are more than 12 months are automatically removed from the system.
An example of CCRIS is as the following:
Let’s assume if you have an outstanding loan payment of 6 months in February 2016 and you only paid this outstanding loan payment in March 2016, your outstanding loan payment record will still show February as 6 months. As you have settled off the outstanding loan payment in March 2016, your outstanding payment record in March and April records will show 0. Due to the fact that CCRIS is actually a rolling report, you cannot just simply request for your outstanding loan payment records to be cleared. In order to clear your outstanding loan payment record in February, you will have to wait until February 2017, 12 months later from the previous date of record. Therefore, if your CCRIS report shows 2 2 2 2 – -, it means you have two outstanding loan payments for 4 months.
The CCRIS system was created for one reason which is to synthesize credit information from the borrower or from the list of borrowers into a standardized credit report or reports. The reports also available to financial institutions and bodies such as banks and to yourself and no one else can retrieve your CCRIS report hence your bank does not know how eligible you are for the loan that you are applying. It was also legally empowered for the Credit Bureau to collect information on your credit from these financial institutions and bodies. Every financial institution and body including all licensed commercial banks Islamic Banks, Investment Banks, Development Banks, insurance companies, payment instrument issuers, and rehabilitation institutions have to comply and submit their customers’ credit information to this centralized CCRIS system. Despite that, the Credit Bureau does not simply judge how worthy you are in your credit worthiness. CCRIS is also already integrated into individuals’ bank system and it can extract your credit report automatically with a click of a button when you apply for a loan at the bank or at any financial institution or body but that does not mean your loan will be rejected if you do not have a good CCRIS report. In all fairness, each individual bank and each financial institution or body treats your CRRIS report differently and this is subjected to the related bank or financial institution itself. As opposed to what some people might think, CCRIS is in no way a blacklist.
CCRIS Report Categories
In the CCRIS Report, you can see 3 major categories known as Outstanding loans, Special Attention Accounts and Loan or credit facility applications made in the past 1 year. Outstanding loans include housing loans, personal loans, hire purchase, overdraft, credit cards and etc. while Special attention accounts usually include accounts that are deemed to have NPL, Non-Performing Loan or accounts that are under special debt management schedule like the ones negotiated by AKPK, Agensi Kaunselling & Pengurusan Kredit, The Credit Counselling and Debt Management Agency that was set up by Bank Negara Malaysia to assist individuals to manage and take control of their financial situation and to put their credits into a wise use. The last category includes the number of loan or credit applications that were approved and rejected in the past 1 year period.
How to Check CCRIS?
As stated on Bank Negara Malaysia’s official website, you can check and print out your CCRIS report from only 5 locations in Peninsular Malaysia and only 2 locations in East Malaysia. The selected locations are Kuala Lumpur, Shah Alam, Johor Bahru, Kuala Terengganu, Penang, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu. If you happened to be staying in Ipoh or Malacca, locations that do not support this CCRIS facility, you will have to visit Bank Negara Malaysia’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur to print out your CCRIS report. In order to do so, simply visit the CCRIS kiosks at Bank Negara Malaysia’s headquarters and selected branches, verify your fingerprint using your MyKad and print out the CCRIS report. If you choose not to travel all the way down to Bank Negara Malaysia’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, you can opt to request your CCRIS report through the normal mail by filling up the application form with the required documents and faxing them back to Bank Negara Malaysia’s headquarters. The waiting time may take anywhere from between 2 to 4 weeks before they process your request. The report will then be sent to the nearest financial institutions located to your home address and then you can go collect it. Alternatively, you may also request for your CCRIS report through email by typing BNM CCRIS followed by your email address in the SMS text box and send it to 15888. Please be noted that an additional RM0.20 will be charged for this SMS message. While the credit officers in the financial institutions and bodies can access your CCRIS report in the comfort of their offices, the public will have to opt for one of the ways that are listed above to do the same, unfortunately.
Tips on how to improve your CCRIS record
Below is a list of some of the things that you can do in order to improve your CCRIS record. As mentioned above, by implementing the tips listed below, it does not necessarily increase your chances in getting the loan approved as different financial institutions and bodies treat the information in your CCRIS record differently and the requirements are subjective.
- Pay down some of your credit lines before you submit for another loan application if you have high credit utilization
- As your CCRIS report is only updated on 15th of every month, time your loan application if you have already paid down your credit lines
- Try to request for your bank delay billing cycle as too many 1’s in your repayment record may indicate inaccurate payment due dates that are earlier than your actual pay day
- Wait for 12 months before you submit another loan application if you are known to have late repayment records
- Limit the number of your loan and credit applications as many loans and credit applications may prevent you from getting the best deals
- Have at least one active credit payment facility and remember to pay on time because no credit history as in no loans, credit cards and overdraft facilities can severely impact your credit score
How do I improve my chances of applying for loans
There are a few criteria that bank checks on CCRIS before assessing your loan.
- Do make sure you have at least one year of CCRIS data. People get rejected as there are no record for banks to evaluate their credit conduct
- Almost pay your loans on time consistently. This will give a good impression of prompt payer to Banks.
- If you have bad or outstanding repayment records, always apply 12 months after you have resumed your payment as the records will be cycled.
Urban Legend
Contrary to popular myth, CCRIS is not a blacklist. If you have used any credit cards or have any loans , your financial records will appear in CCRIS. Banks and Financial institutions will check your CCRIS to assess your credit ratings before offering any loans to you.
Do I get to check my CCRIS report ?
Yes, fortunately Bank Negara does provide access to your own CCRIS record for FREE. It is advisable to do a self CCRIS check If your loans and credit cards application are always rejected by banks. To get the report, you will need to pay Bank Negara or nearest branches a visit. You will need your IC and your fingerprint to print the report from kiosk provided. Branches
No online website request are available at the time of writing however you can also request for the information using conventional mail, fox or email.
Bank Negara Address
Branches
Pulau Pinang
Jalan Corner Light
10200, Penang
Tel : 04 – 2627125
Bank Negara Kota Kinabalu
Jalan Datuk Thain Vun
88000, K. Kinabalu, Sabah
Tel : 08 – 88211211
Bank Negara Kuching
Jalan Satok
93000, Kuching
Sarawak
Tel : 08-2252311
Bank Negara Johor Bahru
Jalan Bukit Timbalan
80000 Johor Bahru, Johor
Tel : 07-2240799
Bank Negara Malaysia Kuala Terengganu
Jalan Sultan Mohamad
21100, Kuala Terengganu,Terengganu
Tel : 09-6220571
