KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Sept. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hong Leong Bank ("HLB" or the "Bank") has received 4 industry awards this year, reinforcing its position as a leading financial institution in Malaysia. These accolades span SME banking, innovative financial products and even financial inclusion initiatives, reflecting the Bank's dedication to providing an end-to-end banking experience that offers innovative, customer-centric financial solutions, while leveraging digital innovation to uplift communities.

Best SME Bank in Malaysia

HLB has been named "Best SME Bank in Malaysia" at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2024, and for the third consecutive year at the Asian Banking & Finance ("ABF") Retail Banking Awards 2024. This achievement is attributed to an impressive 10.4% year-on-year ("YoY") increase in its SME loan/financing portfolio, reaching RM33 billion in the past financial year. The Bank's community banking initiatives also saw an outstanding 12.6% YoY growth, nearly double the industry average.

The Bank's commitment to SMEs goes beyond providing loans and financing. It offers a fully-digital onboarding experience where SME customers can apply for banking products and services from their own premises, eliminating the need for business owners to open accounts at a physical branch. With this, HLB provides a diversified suite of online banking capabilities, including enhanced features for faster trade processing, an optimised loan origination system that expedites loan approvals. HLB also has an extensive network of Community Business Managers ("CBMs") and Cash, Trade & FX ("CTFX") specialists which are embedded within the nationwide SME community, equipped with the solutions and insights needed to provide unparalleled support to SMEs and business owners.

Best Deposit Product in Malaysia

In line with its commitment to optimising customer experience through innovative banking solutions, HLB's Pay & Save Account/-i ("Pay & Save") has been named "Best Deposit Product in Malaysia" at The Asian Banker Excellence in Retail Finance and Technology Innovation Malaysia Awards 2024.

The Pay&Save account provides multi-currency flexibility and offers higher interest/profit on everyday transactions. The account is designed for a seamless user experience, leveraging on HLB Connect and an integrated multi-currency debit card. Customers can manage finances in both Malaysian Ringgit (MYR) and 12 major foreign currencies, convert currency easily at competitive rates, and spend and withdraw foreign currencies abroad while receiving FOREX alerts at their preferred rates, a testament to the Bank's commitment to designing financial solutions that cater to its customers' diversified lifestyles.

Best Financial Inclusion Initiative

HLB's commitment to customer-centricity and uplifting the community is evident in its financial inclusion program, HLB @ Kampung, which equips underserved communities with digital payment tools and online banking infrastructure. Following its successful launch in Sekinchan, Selangor in 2023, HLB has further initiated 71 HLB @ Kampung projects that look to support the digital transformation of rural towns across Malaysia, turning them into a Cashless Kampung. On the back of the program's success, the Cashless Kampung program was internationally-recognized as the Best Financial Inclusion Initiative at The Asian Banker Excellence in Retail Financial Services International Awards 2024.

Built Around You

Kevin Lam, Group Managing Director and CEO of HLB commented on the widespread recognition of HLB's banking excellence.

"As a financial institution, we constantly look to reimagine our digital banking products and services, ensuring that we truly design them to provide a seamless banking experience for our customers. These awards are not just a reflection of the relentless dedication and hard work from our team at HLB, but it also underscores our pursuit of innovation and customer-centricity. From designing a multi-currency, digitally-enabled savings account, to enhancing our SME banking capabilities and uplifting communities with digital innovation, we look to provide financial solutions and services that are integrated into our customers' diverse lifestyles, becoming a bank that is truly Built Around You."  

HLB has also recently upgraded their HLB Connect mobile banking app, further enhancing and streamlining the user experience when it comes to digital banking. The new app comes with a new and improved Forex Rate converter interface, which complements the multi-currency Pay & Save account by making it easier for customers to calculate conversion rates. Besides that, the app now allows for auto-detect biometric settings, where users can use their pre-set security settings on their mobile phones (biometrics for Android and Face ID for iOS) to unlock their HLB Connect app.

For more information about HLB's Pay & Save account, please visit:

https://www.hlb.com.my/en/personal-banking/deposits/savings-account/pay-and-save-account.html