MoneyMax CEO Dato' Sri Dr Lim Yong Guan is reinventing one of the world’s oldest trades, turning pawnbroking into a modern form of microfinance, with community trust at its core What does innovation look like for an industry as enduring as pawnbroking? For MoneyMax, it‘s being one of first to introduce drive-through pawnbroking services in Malaysia. Dato’ Sri Dr. Lim Yong Guan, Executive Chairman and CEO of MoneyMax, tells this story: when MoneyMax first ventured into Malaysia, it involved multiple research trips—long hours on the road, scouting for suitable pawnshop locations, and observing customers’ behaviour. Something peculiar began to catch their attention. In Singapore, it was common in the past for customers visiting pawnshops to feel self-conscious. They might be anxious about being spotted by someone who knows them; most times visiting and leaving in a hurry. In Malaysia, customers visiting pawnshops were often in a hurry too. But they would be in a hurry for a different...