WHO'S THE MOST CHARITABLE?

How Public Bank Berhad Gives Back To Society?

Public Bank Berhad

Public Bank was founded in 1966 and has grown to over 450 branches across the region steadfast in its vision of ‘a bank for the people’. The Public Bank Group’s Sustainability Framework comprises four strategic themes – Protecting the Environment, Proficient Employees, Prosperous Customers and Communities, and Principled Conduct – which guide the Group’s approach towards creating positive impact through 17 material matters.

Fiscal Year-End: 31 December 2023

Industry: Financial Services

Net Profit: RM6.64 billion

The net profit of Public Bank Berhad increased in FY2023 to RM6.64 billion from RM6.11 billion during the previous financial year.

Profit Growth (YoY): 8.66%

The year-on-year net profit growth at Public Bank Berhad is at 8.66%

Dividend Payout: RM3.69 billion

The Group’s dividend payout ratio for FY2023 was at 55.50% amounting to RM3.69 billion.

Zakat Fund: RM2.35 million

Public Islamic Bank’s zakat payment amounted to RM2,359,000, which has been paid to 14 states of zakat authorities in Malaysia for the assessment year of 2022.

Cash Giving: RM1.2 million

Total cash contributions made by Public Bank during FY2023, was RM1.2 million. This contribution was made through community investment.

In-kind Giving: N/A

Total in-kind contributions are accounted for under the RM1.2 million contribution made through community investment.

Employee Volunteer Hours: 307 hours

The total employee volunteer hours reported by Public Bank Berhad is 307 hours in FY2023.

Public Bank Berhad:
Cash, In-Kind and Employee Volunteer Hours

No.	Contribution	Cash Giving	In-kind Giving	Employee Volunteer Hours	Beneficiaries		Recurring Amount
1	Community Well-Being	RM0.35M	N/A	N/A	20 community groups	Over RM350,000 donated in cash and in-kind to more than 20 community groups, non governmental organisations (“NGOs”) and healthcare institutions.
2	Community Well-Being	RM0.04M	N/A	N/A	4 old folks home	Spreading the Chinese New Year joy with donation of about RM41,000 to four old folk homes.
3	Charity drive for Hanoi Disability Care Center	VND45.00M	N/A	N/A	Hanoi Disability Care Center	Public Bank Vietnam organised a charity drive for Hanoi Disability Care Center at Lien Minh hamlet Ba Vi District, Hanoi City with donation of essential goods worth VND45 million.
4	Sponsorship to National Cancer Society of Malaysia	RM0.15M	N/A	N/A	National Cancer Society of Malaysia	Sponsorship of RM150,000 was extended to the National Cancer Society of Malaysia for its Colorectal Cancer Awareness Programme.
5	Education	RM0.46M	N/A	N/A	800 organisations	Over RM460,000 invested, benefitting more than 800 educational institutions, NGOs and press community.
6	Education	RM3.00k	N/A	N/A	Children of Rumah Amal Asnaf Al-Barakh	Donation of school supplies worth over RM3,000 through the ‘Back to School Initiative’ to children of Rumah Amal Asnaf Al-Barakh.
7	Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.	RM0.02M	N/A	N/A	Students and reseachers	Sponsorship of RM20,000 to support students and researchers in the development of Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.	Increase
8	Education	RM0.01M	N/A	N/A	Pertubuhan Berita Nasional Malaysia	Sponsorship of RM10,000 to Pertubuhan Berita Nasional Malaysia (“BERNAMA”) in honour of the services and contributions of journalists, photographers and cameramen.	Similar
9	Environment	RM0.40M	N/A	N/A	20 schools	Over RM400,000 distributed to support environmentalrelated programmes, involving 20 schools in Malaysia
10	EcoSchools programme	RM0.39M	N/A	N/A	20 schools	With a total sponsorship of RM1.2 million, Public Bank Group, together with Green Growth Asia Foundation (“GGAF”), signed a sponsorship agreement to roll out the EcoSchools programme involving 20 schools in Pahang, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur for a period of three years from 2023 to 2025. Disbursed RM396,000 in 2023, the first tranche of total sponsorship of RM1.2 million over three years.
11	Environment	HKD5.00k	N/A	N/A	Beneficiaries	The Public Bank Group’s operation in Hong Kong contributed to the environmental education works of Green Power with a donation of HKD5,000 for participation in a virtual walk.
12	iTEKAD 1.0	RM0.10M	N/A	N/A	10 participants	A collaboration between Public Islamic Bank, Majlis Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan (“MAIWP”) and Institut Keusahawanan Negara (“INSKEN”), to promote financial literacy and develop business management skills among microentrepreneurs. Through non-monetary contributions, the initiative enhanced financial literacy and introduced financing opportunities to participants. As a result, 25 participants from the B40/asnaf category received entrepreneurship training, with ten of them awarded seed capital grants totaling RM100,000.
13	iTEKAD 2.0	N/A	Upskilling programme	N/A	30 micro entrepreneurs	A collaboration between Public Islamic Bank, Lembaga Zakat Negeri Kedah (“LZNK”) and Universiti Utara Malaysia to promote eco-tourism in Sik, Kedah, through the empowerment and upskilling of the local microentrepreneurs. Through non-monetary contributions, the initiative enhanced financial literacy and introduced financing opportunities to the participants. As a result, 30 B40/asnaf microentrepreneurs received entrepreneurship training and grants to scale up their businesses.
14	Staff Donation Programme	RM0.03M		N/A	268 employees	The Group’s long-standing staff donation programme, where employees can make voluntary donations to assist fellow colleagues in times of need was established since 2004. During the year, a total of RM32,000 was handed out to employees who needed financial assistance through this programme. Since its inception, the programme has benefited over 268 employees, with a cumulative disbursement of approximately RM623,000.

Shows an increase monetarily or the number of beneficiaries from 2022 report.

Shows a decrease monetarily or the number of beneficiaries from 2022 report

1. The numerical value for total cash and in-kind giving was calculated based on individual monetary mentions in the Annual and Sustainability report.

2. The information above is derived from Public Bank Berhad’s 2023 Annual and Sustainability Report. Email correspondence was made between 12 June – 30 July 2024 to seek further clarification, however, no reply was received.

This independent report is produced without sponsorship from any organisation. The objective of the Bursa Top 20 is to promote philanthropy and encourage charitable giving among for-profit organisations.

Highlights From Public Bank Berhad's Giving

Focus Areas of Public Bank Berhad

Beneficiaries of Public Bank Berhad

During FY2023, Public Bank Berhad increased its investment in community initiatives to RM1.2 million, a significant rise from the RM0.32 million contributed in the previous year. The group’s main areas of focus for charitable contributions are Education, Welfare and Sponsorship, and the Environment. Notable initiatives include the EcoSchools programme, sponsorship of the National Cancer Society Malaysia, and sponsorship for Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology. However, employee volunteer hours decreased to 307 in FY2023, down from 732 hours reported in FY2022.