Hong Leong Islamic Bank Starts 2025 Strong, Named IFN’s Best Islamic Retail Bank in Malaysia
Hong Leong Islamic Bank Starts 2025 Strong, Named IFN’s Best Islamic Retail Bank in Malaysia
Backed by a series of industry recognitions and robust momentum, the Bank is on track to continue delivering exceptional Islamic banking experiences in the new year.
Dafinah Ahmed Hilmi, CEO of HLISB (right), accepting the IFN Best Islamic Retail Bank in Malaysia award at the IFN Best Banks Poll Awards Ceremony 2024
KUALA LUMPUR, 25 MARCH 2025 – Hong Leong Islamic Bank (“HLISB” or the “Bank”) has entered the year with strong momentum, fueled by significant milestones and industry recognition for its innovation and service excellence in Malaysia's Islamic banking sector.
The Bank started the new year by winning the Best Islamic Retail Bank in Malaysia award at the Islamic Finance News (“IFN”) Best Banks Poll 2024, solidifying its position as Malaysia’s premier retail bank for Islamic and Shariah-compliant banking. In FY2024, the Bank recorded a 13% year-on-year (“y-o-y”) increase in profit (before zakat and taxes), boosted by a 17% rise in individual deposits. HLISB also recorded an 11% y-o-y growth in its retail financing portfolio in FY2024, leading to a 10% increase in retail deposits. This achievement underscores the Bank’s dedication to providing customer-centric solutions and driving digital transformation in the Islamic banking space.
Dafinah Ahmed Hilmi, CEO of HLISB, commented on the Bank’s commitment to building trust with its customers, as it looks to enhance its Islamic banking solutions and offerings.
“We see ourselves as partners in our customers’ financial journeys, striving to design industry-leading Islamic banking solutions that are digital, innovative, and catered to our customers’ specific needs. With a comprehensive suite of Islamic banking products and services, boosted by a dedicated team of specialists providing Shariah advisory services, we look to create a seamless end-to-end ecosystem for our customers, supporting them in achieving their diversified financial goals.”
HLISB’s recent growth in retail banking can be attributed largely to its seamless and comprehensive digital banking experience, which includes its fully-digital account onboarding experience and an end-to-end digital banking ecosystem. The Bank has also recently launched its HLB Wallet-i e-wallet, which allows customers to save, spend, and manage their finances across different currencies and geographies, including allowing customers to withdraw money across different currencies using the same debit card. This innovative platform has played a key role in attracting new customers, as well as deepening engagement with existing ones.
Continuing on its streak of industry recognitions, the Bank's strong performance and innovative solutions have been recognized at several other industry awards, including:
Best Domestic Islamic Retail Bank in Malaysia at the Digital Banker’s Global Retail Banking Innovation Awards 2024
Best Digital Financial Inclusion Initiative - Islamic for its HLB Wallet-i e-wallet at the Digital Banker’s Global Retail Banking Innovation Awards 2024
IRBA Excellence Award for Digital Banking in Malaysia 2024 at the 10th Islamic Retail Banking Awards 2024
Best Islamic Retail Bank for Liabilities Side Products in Malaysia at the 10th Islamic Retail Banking Awards 2024
Dafinah added, "We are incredibly proud of the progress we have made in 2024, and these recent achievements will further fuel our passion for delivering exceptional banking experiences. HLISB is committed to driving growth in key areas in 2025 including supporting the Halal industry, expanding our wealth management offerings, and promoting financial inclusion. We believe these initiatives will not only benefit our customers but also contribute to the overall growth of Malaysia's economy. Our commitment to innovation, customer-centricity, and service excellence will continue to guide us as we build on this momentum in 2025 and beyond, reinforcing our position as a bank that is truly Built Around You."
For more information about the HLB Wallet-i, please visit:
https://www.hlisb.com.my/en/personal-i/deposit-i/savings-account/wallet-i.html