Hong Leong Bank (“HLB” or the “Bank”) has been recognised as Bank of the Year for Community Empowerment at the Sustainability & CSR Malaysia Awards 2024, primarily due to the Bank empowering over 9,000 students and community members to date through financial literacy and scam awareness workshops via its financial literacy platform—HLB DuitSmart—as well as various employee-led community empowerment initiatives.
Since its inception in 2019, the HLB DuitSmart programme has delivered financial literacy workshops to more than 100 primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions, equipping students with the knowledge needed to navigate personal budgeting, financial planning, and protecting themselves from financial fraud. HLB also conducts scam awareness workshops for SMEs and underprivileged members of the community, ensuring that society at large can better protect itself from the latest scams and plan more effectively for the future.
The programme has also officially entered the Malaysia Book of Records for the “Most Students Graduated from a Financial Literacy Programme,” with 1,789 students graduating from its flagship DuitSmart Kids programme, achieved in collaboration with Smart Reader® Worldwide.
Kevin Lam, Group Managing Director and CEO of HLB, commented on how the Bank’s financial literacy and community empowerment initiatives serve to build connections and generate tangible change.
“At HLB, we believe financial literacy and community empowerment are not just initiatives but pathways to building stronger connections and creating lasting positive change. We believe financial literacy isn’t just about numbers; it’s about empowering individuals to make the best life decisions. Through our educational initiatives and resources, we strive to equip our customers with the knowledge and skills to navigate their financial journeys confidently. From managing everyday finances to planning for major milestones, we are committed to fostering financial literacy as a cornerstone for a prosperous and fulfilling life.”
HLB has a comprehensive employee CSR platform, which aims to inspire its employees to engage with the wider community and drive social change through various community investment initiatives, ranging from book and blood donation drives to food distribution programmes and even beach clean-ups. Employees design and organise CSR programmes specifically targeted to the needs of their communities, leveraging the Bank’s extensive branch network to mobilise manpower and run the programmes efficiently across Malaysia. In addition, HLB employees receive ‘CSR leave’ days, which they can redeem after participating in a CSR activity. This has encouraged employees to contribute over 1,000 volunteer hours in 2023 alone.
Zalman Zainal, HLB’s Chief Marketing and Communication Officer (2nd from right), receiving the award from YB Dato’ Dr. Noraini Ahmad, Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development (2nd from left) at the Sustainability & CSR Malaysia Awards 2024
Zalman Zainal, HLB’s Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, who also leads the Bank’s CSR team, commented, “We see ourselves as a partner to our customers and the communities we serve, and our employee-led CSR initiatives are a natural extension of that customer-centric mindset. Through these initiatives, our employees have the opportunity to participate in on-ground CSR programmes, ensuring they gain invaluable experiences while allowing us to forge stronger relationships with the community around us. Whether it is through financial literacy workshops, partnering with a social enterprise through its business growth journey, or a simple book donation drive, our CSR initiatives give us the opportunity to contribute to the community, in the hope of driving tangible and meaningful social change.”
The Bank has previously won several awards for its CSR and ESG initiatives, most recently being named Company of the Year (Banking) at the ESG Leadership Awards 2023. HLB has also been named Company of the Year (Banking) at the Sustainability & CSR Malaysia Awards 2022, Company of the Year (Banking) for Excellence in COVID-19 Support & Community Welfare at the CSR Malaysia Awards 2021 and Company of the Year (Supporting Social Enterprises) in 2019.
To learn more about HLB’s community investment initiatives, please visit:
https://www.hlb.com.my/en/personal-banking/about-us/sustainability/community-investment.html
