Malaysia Leads in Business Messaging
WhatsApp has introduced new features to help Malaysian businesses boost customer engagement, productivity, and performance. The announcement took place during the second WhatsApp Business Sessions event in Kuala Lumpur.
With 78% of Malaysians messaging a business every week, the country remains one of the world’s most connected markets. According to Justin Murugaya, Head of Industry, Malaysia, Meta, this growing adoption reflects how WhatsApp has become an essential part of daily business communication.
“Malaysia is a global leader in business messaging,” he said. “WhatsApp is developing new features to drive better results for businesses of every size, while providing a personal and timely experience.”
From Messaging to Calling: Enhancing Customer Conversations
WhatsApp is bridging the gap between messaging and live communication. Businesses using the WhatsApp Business Platform can now receive and make in-app voice calls, with video calling capabilities coming soon.
These new functions allow businesses to resolve customer inquiries faster while maintaining the same secure and private experience users expect from WhatsApp. This marks another step in WhatsApp’s mission to help businesses connect in the most convenient way possible.
Streamlining Marketing Across WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram
WhatsApp is also simplifying marketing integration across WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram. Through Meta’s Ads Manager, businesses can create and manage campaigns from one platform.
This unified dashboard helps companies save time, reuse creative content, and reach customers more efficiently. With Advantage+ automation and AI optimisation, Ads Manager automatically adjusts placements and budgets to improve performance. As a result, businesses can maximise visibility while lowering operational effort.
Growing Visibility with the WhatsApp Updates Tab
To help businesses and creators grow their audiences, WhatsApp is rolling out new features in the Updates Tab, which is used by over 1.5 billion people daily.
The rollout includes ads in Status, promoted channels, and Channels subscriptions – all designed to increase visibility while keeping users’ private chats separate. This ensures that marketing remains engaging without interrupting personal messaging.
Supporting MSMEs Through Simultaneous App Use
Small and micro-enterprises remain a priority for WhatsApp. Businesses can now use the free WhatsApp Business App alongside the WhatsApp Business Platform under the same number.
This flexibility helps MSMEs scale operations smoothly as their customer base grows. They can now manage high volumes of messages without losing the simplicity that WhatsApp users value.
Building the Future with AI
Looking ahead, Meta is testing AI-powered tools on WhatsApp that will soon launch in Malaysia. These features will allow businesses to handle large volumes of messages, recommend products, and even close sales automatically.
“Meta’s continued investment in Malaysia shows a deep and lasting commitment, not just to technology, but to people,” said YB Ewon Benedick, Minister of Entrepreneur and Co-operatives Development. “Together, we are ensuring that our MSMEs are not only prepared for the future, but are also leading the way into it.”
Empowering Entrepreneurs Through Digital Skills
Meta continues to work with local partners through the Meta Live Skilling Program, in collaboration with SME Corp. Malaysia, INSKEN, MARA and MDEC.
This initiative has already trained more than 1,000 micro and small businesses in digital tools, including WhatsApp API and Ads that Click to WhatsApp. These sessions help entrepreneurs enhance visibility, automate interactions, and connect with customers more effectively.
Proven Impact for Malaysian Brands
For many Malaysian companies, WhatsApp Business is already a key part of their customer strategy. Angelica Sanchez, Customer Engagement and Loyalty Manager at Ikano Retail, an IKEA Retailer, shared how the platform transformed their outreach:
“WhatsApp Business has played a key role in helping us reach IKEA Family members of Ikano Retail’s stores in Malaysia,” she said. “WhatsApp is intuitive and familiar, and its simple user experience has led to 42% higher open rates compared to email, showing how well it works in our local communication strategy.”
