Hong Leong Islamic Bank Renewed Wealth Focus to Mark 20th Anniversary
Hong Leong Islamic Bank Renewed Wealth Focus to Mark 20th Anniversary
The Bank signals a new era with a sharpened focus, grounding its strategy in the fundamental truth of banking: managing wealth across every stage of life.
Kevin Lam, HLB’s Group Managing Director & CEO [4th from right], and Dafinah Ahmed Hilmi, CEO of HLISB [4th from left] at HLISB’s 20th Anniversary media briefing, alongside representatives from UCMI, UUM, UniSZA, and the Bank’s Shariah committee.
KUALA LUMPUR, 1 DECEMBER 2025 – In celebration of its 20th Anniversary, Hong Leong Islamic Bank (“HLISB” or the “Bank”) has unveiled a refreshed proposition, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the Bank alongside the launch of a sharpened strategic framework that reimagines Islamic banking through the lens of wealth management.
The refreshed proposition signals a bold shift toward a more modern, accessible, and forward-looking position while remaining deeply rooted in Shariah values. Serving as the anchor for the Bank’s renewed vision: "Timeless Principles Guiding Tomorrow's Wealth”, underscores the Bank's commitment to evolving alongside the aspirations of Malaysians.
Kevin Lam, Group Managing Director & CEO of Hong Leong Bank said, "Turning 20 signifies a definitive transition and maturity. From the outset, we set out not just to create a subsidiary, but to build an institution defined by integrity, community, and excellence. Today, HLISB acts as a key engine of our success. This trajectory is evident in our Q1FY26 results announced last week, where financing assets expanded 7.8% y-o-y, now constituting 23.4% of HLB's total financing. Furthermore, HLISB recorded a PBT of RM197 million, contributing 14.5% to the Group's bank-wide performance for the same period. It is proven that Islamic banking is not merely an 'alternative’ but a value-based approach that complements conventional banking for everyone. Our renewed focus combines the wisdom of maturity with the agility of a startup to drive sustainable wealth for our customers."
Moving beyond broad aspirations, the Bank is grounding its vision in a fundamental reality: that a bank’s primary role is the effective stewardship of wealth. HLISB recognizes that every financial interaction, from opening a basic savings account and financing business growth to facilitating Halal certification, is a critical step in holistic, value-based wealth management.
To deliver on this, the Bank has aligned its offerings with the five pillars of Islamic Wealth Management to support the entire financial lifecycle. The journey begins with Wealth Creation and Accumulation, focusing on generating purpose-driven wealth from the first paycheck and investing in Shariah-compliant assets. This foundation is secured by Wealth Preservation to shield against uncertainty, and elevated by Wealth Purification, which promotes ethical stewardship through giving. Finally, Wealth Distribution moves beyond inheritance to help customers design legacies that pass down values alongside financial assets.
Dafinah Ahmed Hilmi, CEO of HLISB commented, “As we mark 20 years, we are stepping forward with a refreshed wealth proposition anchored on clarity of purpose - to make Islamic wealth management simple, seamless, and truly value-creating for our customers. Islamic banking carries an inherent beauty: its principles offer a holistic and dignified view of wealth, connecting every aspect of life with a balanced responsibility. Our framework is built on Shariah and Maqasid foundations. It integrates the full journey from a child’s first savings account to long-term investments, business growth, family protection, and legacy planning. This approach goes beyond conventional wealth accumulation; it emphasises ethical stewardship, real-economy impact, and intergenerational well-being. We aim to stand beside our customers throughout this entire arc, ensuring their wealth journey is not only profitable, but purposeful - supporting a life of stability, contribution and meaningful legacy.”
As part of its wealth-centric vision, HLISB launched HLB@CAMPUS to strengthen youth development and financial literacy, bridging the gap between education and real-world financial decision-making. The programme offers student-focused banking solutions, alongside HLB Duitsmart, HLB’s flagship financial literacy workshops, and a Student Ambassador Programme, preparing the next generation for responsible wealth creation. HLISB has already rolled this flagship programme out with 3 universities, namely Universiti College MAIWP International (“UCMI”), Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (“UniSZA”), and Universiti Utara Malaysia (“UUM”).
In parallel, HLISB has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (‘MOU”) with UCMI, aimed at expanding Waqaf initiatives. Focused on healthcare needs, this partnership with UCMI aims to facilitate customer contribution toward medical equipment and patient care, turning personal success into social impact by recognizing community health as vital wealth.
For retail customers, the Bank continues to reward disciplined financial behavior through the HLB Meezani Account-i, a Shariah-compliant Unrestricted Investment Account (URIA). Designed to support Wealth Creation, the account rewards over 23,000 customers with daily, weekly, quarterly and yearly rewards while offering flexible fund access.
To celebrate this new era, HLISB is introducing a 20th Anniversary Special Campaign, running until 31 December 2025, to encourage Malaysians to begin or strengthen their wealth creation journey. The campaign offers attractive incentives across the wealth spectrum: new customers are eligible for RM20 with a RM200 initial placement in the HLB Meezani Account-i, while those securing approved and funded ASB Financing-i can receive RM50 cashback. Additionally, existing customers are rewarded with RM100 cashback upon completing a top-up of RM2,000 into HLB Meezani Account-i. Terms and conditions apply.
For more information on HLISB Shariah-compliant products and initiatives, please visit: https://www.hlisb.com.my/en/personal-i/home.html