Janjilah Targets Malaysia’s Online Scam Crisis

Janjilah is attempting to address a growing trust problem in Malaysia’s online marketplace by introducing a blockchain-powered agreement system designed for micro-entrepreneurs and informal traders. The platform was created to transform everyday digital transactions and verbal commitments into verifiable and legally recognized records.

Across Malaysia’s rapidly expanding online commerce ecosystem, many small traders continue to rely on social media platforms, messaging apps, and online marketplaces to complete transactions. However, disputes often emerge when buyers or sellers fail to honor agreements, leaving victims with little legal protection. Informal conversations, screenshots, and chat logs are frequently insufficient for law enforcement agencies seeking verifiable evidence.

The financial impact of online scams has become increasingly severe. Reports indicated that Malaysians lost RM542 million to scams in 2025, while only RM34 million was successfully recovered. These figures highlighted the limitations of existing systems and the challenges authorities face when attempting to investigate digital marketplace disputes.

Founder’s Experience Inspired the Platform

Steve Rao reportedly experienced the trust gap personally during the pandemic after becoming a victim of several online scams. He explained that one of the core problems involved the absence of proper documentation capable of serving as credible proof during disputes.

Steve noted that many individuals were unwilling to sign formal agreements, even through common communication channels such as WhatsApp. After discussions with authorities, he discovered that police investigations were often hindered because complaints lacked verifiable documentation or reliable identity records.

This challenge eventually led Steve Rao, together with co-founders Amir Azril and Yew Jin Tan, to develop Janjilah as a blockchain-based digital agreements solution focused on everyday commercial interactions.

Janjilah was developed to convert informal digital transactions into immutable, legally binding records supported by blockchain verification and timestamped documentation. The founders indicated that the platform was specifically designed to address the gray area between outright scams and ordinary commercial disputes.

Addressing a Massive Informal Business Market

According to the company, Malaysia has around 1.07 million officially registered micro-SMEs and SMEs, while the number of informal businesses may be significantly larger. Many of these businesses operate almost entirely through smartphones and social media applications such as Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp.

Janjilah explained that this reality influenced several important product decisions. Instead of launching a traditional downloadable mobile application, the company chose to build a browser-based web app that could function on low-storage devices. Steve reportedly drew on his previous work experience in Africa, where low-capacity smartphones were common, to emphasize the importance of lightweight digital tools.

The platform is available in both English and Malay and can be accessed directly through a web browser. This approach was intended to lower barriers for users who might only require the service occasionally and may hesitate to install additional apps.

Privacy and Enforcement Features Built Into the System

Privacy was another major consideration during the platform’s development. Janjilah explained that the company cannot access the actual contents of agreements created between users. Instead, the system only stores proof that an agreement exists, alongside verified identities and timestamps.

The platform was intentionally structured so that only participating parties can access agreement contents, while authorities can verify authenticity without viewing private contract details. The company also created a separate portal for enforcement agencies, enabling officials to confirm the existence and validity of agreements during investigations.

To improve scalability and user experience, Janjilah rebuilt its entire platform in 2025. The updated infrastructure reportedly reduced agreement signing time from 15 seconds to five seconds while introducing 14 localized templates tailored for common Malaysian business transactions.

The rebuilt platform significantly accelerated agreement processing speeds and introduced localized templates for service contracts, tenancy agreements, gig work, and buy-sell transactions. The company believes these improvements could help informal traders gain stronger legal protection while simplifying digital commerce documentation across Malaysia’s growing online economy.

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