Our Story
We believe financial literacy should be within reach for everyone
Pennyark was founded with one idea in mind: that good financial decision-making is a skill that can be taught — and that most Malaysians deserve access to structured, honest, jargon-free guidance on how money works.
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Founded in Kuala Lumpur
How Pennyark came about
Pennyark opened its doors in Jalan Imbi in 2016, founded by a small team of financial practitioners who had spent years working in accounting, financial planning, and investment advisory — and who kept encountering the same problem: the people they worked with often lacked a basic foundation in how money actually works.
Rather than building another investment advisory or wealth management firm, the team decided to take a step back and focus on education. The belief was simple: when individuals understand their own financial situation clearly, they make more considered decisions — without needing to be pushed, nudged, or pressured into any particular product.
Over the years, Pennyark has worked with fresh graduates starting their first job, working professionals re-examining their savings habits, small business owners trying to navigate tax obligations, and retirees looking to put their money to more thoughtful use. What they all share is a desire to understand — not just to be told what to do.
800+
Participants to date
10 yrs
Operating in KL
3
Core programmes
92%
Participant satisfaction
Our Mission
To make financial literacy accessible, practical, and relevant for Malaysians — through structured programmes that build real understanding rather than surface-level familiarity.
Our Approach
Small groups. Experienced facilitators. Local context. Materials you can use after the session ends. We do not believe in cramming concepts — we believe in building foundations that hold up over time.
Our Commitment
We do not sell financial products. We do not take commissions. Our only interest is in helping you understand the material clearly — so that whatever decisions you make afterward are genuinely your own.
The people behind Pennyark
A small team with hands-on backgrounds
Razif Nordin
Founder & Lead Facilitator
Former corporate finance manager with fifteen years of experience in financial reporting and advisory. Leads the Investment Literacy and Personal Finance programmes.
Siew Lin
Tax Programme Facilitator
Chartered accountant with a background in tax advisory for individuals and SMEs. Leads the Tax Planning and Compliance Workshop and keeps course materials up to date with LHDN changes.
Amirah Kassim
Programme & Participant Coordinator
Manages enrolment, scheduling, and participant communications. Ensures that all logistical aspects of the programme run smoothly from registration through to completion.
How we operate
Quality standards we hold ourselves to
Practitioner-Led Content
All course material is developed and delivered by practitioners with direct professional experience — not generalists reading from textbooks.
Regularly Updated Material
Tax regulations, EPF rules, and financial regulations in Malaysia change. Our course materials are reviewed and updated before each intake to reflect current law and practice.
Small Group Sizes
We cap sessions at fifteen participants. This is intentional — smaller groups produce better discussion, better questions, and a more honest learning experience.
No Product Sales
We do not sell investment products, insurance, or financial instruments of any kind. Our programmes are education-only, and facilitators do not receive commission from any third party.
Data Privacy
Participant information is held strictly in accordance with Malaysia's Personal Data Protection Act 2010. We do not share or sell participant data.
Participant Feedback Loop
We collect structured feedback after every programme and use it to inform course design. When participants flag something unclear or outdated, we address it in the next cycle.
Financial literacy for Malaysia
What we know, and how we share it
Pennyark sits at a specific intersection: deep familiarity with Malaysian financial regulations, tax structures, and investment vehicles — combined with the ability to communicate that knowledge in plain, accessible language. Our facilitators have worked in Big Four accounting environments, independent financial planning firms, and corporate treasury departments. That breadth of background means we can draw on real examples and real scenarios, not hypotheticals.
Our personal finance curriculum is structured around the financial behaviours that actually determine long-term outcomes for Malaysian households — debt servicing ratios, emergency fund sizing relative to local cost of living, EPF contributions as a core savings vehicle, and the mechanics of hire purchase agreements that many Malaysians enter without fully understanding the terms.
The investment literacy content is built on the Bursa Malaysia ecosystem and the range of collective investment products available under Securities Commission licensing — unit trusts, ETFs, and REITs alongside the more accessible platforms that have emerged for retail investors. We do not advocate for any specific product category; instead, participants leave with a framework for evaluating options against their own circumstances.
Our tax workshop is perhaps the most immediately practical programme we offer. Malaysia's self-assessment income tax system places the burden of accuracy on the individual, yet many working professionals and sole proprietors file without a clear understanding of which reliefs apply to them. Participants in this workshop leave with a completed personal tax planning checklist — a concrete, usable output rather than a set of abstract notes.
Ready to join a programme?
Write to us or call, and we will find the right starting point for where you are now.
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