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Maybank Sustainability Report
2014
Access to Products and Services
Our business thrives when we humanise. The question on top of our minds
is how to provide access to finance across the region. Our digital and mobile
innovations complement our branches. We have, by far, Malaysia’s largest
internet banking penetration, with over 7.8 million registered users. We
continue to respond to customer needs and develop our business through
digital strategy. We invest in technology, not just to support expansion, but to
ensure the safety and security of our network.
To maintain a clear and distinctive position in the marketplace, we need
constant focus on customers. In 2014, we pushed for better product
knowledge through quarterly assessments, which built the capability
of more than 22,000 front liners and support staff. An internal survey
showed us that more than 50% of branch leaders felt that the assessments
contributed to improvements in problem solving, customer engagement,
and sales at their branches.
We are always looking for ways to innovate our services by providing new
products that are fair and transparent on pricings. Our support for SMEs,
which form the backbone of ASEAN economies, was reflected in a 24.4%
increase in loan growth last year. Various other products support the
underbanked segments including, Malaysia’s first cardless ATM service cash
withdrawals, Maybank2U (M2U) Visa Direct, and microfinance.
We have always stepped up when communities are faced with natural
calamities, and during the December 2014 floods in Malaysia, we offered
a six-month moratorium on loans and made available RM300 million in
emergency financing facilities to help affected customers. We also assisted
in air freighting essentials to aid some of the most affected communities
at the height of the disaster. In the aftermath of the floods, faced with
the cost of clean-up and recovery, we increased users’ credit limit while
Etiqa expedited claim processes for customers who had flood insurance
policies. We took account of ‘frozen’ businesses and opened applications
for additional working capital facilities to assist businesses affected by the
floods. Affected SMEs were given discounts on interest rates, in addition to
the moratorium on repayment.
As a regional institution, we note the shift towards a low-carbon economy
and are preparing ourselves for better performance in this area. We are aware
that management of our environmental footprint needs to improve. The
overarching concern, however, is balancing the needs of profitable growth for
our organisation with the needs of future generations.
We believe that by building sustainable linkages across Asia, we reinforce
our common purpose of serving our customers in the region. For example,
sustainability sits firmly within the syntax of Islamic Finance - premised on
the real economy and based onmorals, principles, and integrity. Through
our Islamic-inspired Group policy, positive outcomes can be seen in terms of
financial, environmental, and cultural returns. Islamic financing grew 24.9% to
further increase its proportion to total Malaysia loans, solidifying our position as
the largest Islamic bank inMalaysia, and the third largest globally by asset size.
Our set of innovative Shariah products is a catalyst for our responsible
lending practice. We are also working towards responsible lending practices
and mapping how we can contribute further in areas like green technology
financing. Our effort in supporting the Green Technology Financing Scheme
brought us recognition as one of “Malaysia’s Top 30 Green Catalysts” in 2014
by the Malaysian Green Technology Corporation.
Looking ahead
Looking ahead to 2015 and beyond, we intend to implement our 20/20
Sustainability Plan, which will have robust and scalable targets. As mentioned
last year, sustainability is about building relationships. If we are committed to
establishing genuine, long-term relationships that are based on mutual trust
and respect, we will place those relationships at the heart of our decision
making and prepare our business well for the future.
We invite you to join us on this journey.
Datuk Abdul Farid Alias
Group PCEO
Group President and
Ceo’s Message