WHO'S THE MOST CHARITABLE?

How Malaysia's Biggest Public Companies Give Back To Society?

Hong Leong Bank Berhad

Part of the Hong Leong Group, Hong Leong Bank Berhad (HLB) is a leading financial services company headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia that, serves as a community and customer-centred bank with a focus on providing innovative digital solutions for the financial services industry.

The Bank is committed towards integrating environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) considerations into business practices guided by five sustainability themes: Digital At The Core, Workforce Readiness, Socially Responsible Business, Environmental Management and Community Investment.

Fiscal Year-End: 31 December 2022

Industry: Financial Services

Net Profit: RM3.29 billion

The net profit of Hong Leong Bank Berhad increased in FY2022 to RM1.40 billion from RM1.00 billion during the previous financial year.

Profit Growth (YoY): 14.98%

The year on year net profit growth at Hong Leong Bank Berhad is at 14.98%.

Dividend Payout: RM1.15 billion

The Company’s dividend payout ratio for the FY2022 is at 34.70%, and it amounts to RM1.15 billion.

Zakat Fund: N/A

Cash Giving: RM0.12 million

Total cash contributions made by Hong Leong Bank Berhad during FY2022 was RM0.12 million based on their annual and sustainability report.

In-kind Giving: RM0.30 million

Total in-kind contributions are approximately RM0.30 million, not including the HLB Employee CSR Programme (HECP) worth RM1.14 million, based on their annual and sustainability report.

Employee Volunteer Hours: N/A

No employee volunteer hours were reported by Hong Leong Bank Berhad.

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

No.	Contribution	Based on Previous Yr	Cash Giving	In-kind Giving	Employee Volunteer Hours	Beneficiaries
1	HLB@Schools		N/A	Cashless ecosystem, financial literacy initiatives	N/A	Beneficiaries	The Bank introduced the HLB@School programme to promote financial literacy and to enable a cashless ecosystem in schools. - Created a cashless ecosystem within schools’ infrastructure (such as enabling cashless payments for purchase of food from school canteens). - Promote financial literacy in participating schools. - Provided school students with essential knowledge on handling finances.
2	HLB@Kampung		N/A	Financial literacy initiatives	N/A	24,000 beneficiaries	In FY2022, we partnered with PayNet to transform Sekinchan into the first 'Cashless Kampung' in Malaysia. This project was developed as part of our efforts to promote financial literacy and enhance accessibility in non-urban areas, with the goal of bridging the socioeconomic gap within the country. Through this initiative, the Bank aims to provide 800 businesses with an HLB DuitNow starter kit, ultimately seeking to transform the lives of more than 24,000 residents, small businesses, and schools.
3	ISTART@HLB		N/A	Digital business tools	N/A	360 SMEs	ISTART@HLB - Digital business tools that simplify SME business needs - Banking facilities - Jumpstart@65
4	#HLBSAPOTLOKAL		N/A	Awareness initiative worth RM0.30M	N/A	120 SME merchants	#HLBSAPOTLOKAL Bring awareness to the public about local SMEs’ products and services by incentivising customers to spend at selected local merchants
5	HLB Launchpad		N/A	N/A	2,000 hrs	30 start-ups over the years	Mentorship programme aimed at nurturing young entrepreneurs and start-ups Since inception - 316 start-ups applications - 46 Demo Day pitches - Over 30 start-up collaborations
6	JUMPSTART@65	⬆️	N/A	19 educational sessions	N/A	HLB Launchpad winners and Hong Leong Foundation’s partners	Community hub that aims to inspire the communities by teaching them purposeful life and digital skills, as well as to build a network of people to co-create and collaborate to design innovative solutions for the communities In FY2022 - 13 co-creation sessions conducted with customers - 3 training sessions with students in partnership with Hong Leong Foundation on digital skills, financial literacy and educational programmes - 3 Community Workshops with NGOs & Social Enterprises
7	Carbon-offset project		N/A	37,000 seedlings and 15,000 mangrove trees	N/A	Environment	In FY2022, HLB kick-started our first major carbon-offset project. Working in collaboration with the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS), HLB embarked on a mangrove swamp ecosystem rehabilitation and conservation project at the Kuala Selangor Nature Park. HLB will help to restore degraded forest land by planting approximately 50,000 new mangrove trees in the area over the next three years. As of July 2022, we have germinated more than 37,000 seedlings and planted over 15,000 mangrove trees
8	Earth Hero @ HLB Pocket Connect	⬆️	N/A	2,500 trees, Environmental content	N/A	Environment	Leveraging the highly engaging HLB Pocket Connect platform, the initiative encourages young savers to participate in virtual gamification and educational tasks assigned to them and make a positive environmental change. Reforestation - Planted over 2,500 trees, (achieving our FY2021 target), in collaboration with social enterprise Animal Projects Environmental Education Sdn. Bhd. Wildlife Awareness - Uploaded content based on endangered animals on a monthly basis on our website to raise awareness on how the tree planting initiatives help sustain the food chains for the Borneo wildlife. Local Community Engagement - Supported members of the local communities from the Sukau Village through providing employment and contributing to their livelihood.
9	Supported Benak Raya through Jumpstart		N/A	Educational workshops, brand support	N/A	Beneficiaries	- Conducted a series of workshops totalling 8 hours on topics related to sustainability, social media know-how, financial knowledge for SMEs and HLB ConnectFirst training. - Engaged with Benak Raya for a brand revamp exercise, website development and brand video development that was completed and uploaded on Youtube in May 2022. - Supported ongoing business partnerships between Benak Raya and other social enterprises under Jumpstart. Additionally, we also support Benak Raya through ongoing social procurement and event sponsorships.
10	SURI through Jumpstart		N/A	Upskilling initiatives	N/A	40 single and underprivileged mothers	Empowers 40 single and underprivileged mothers in the community of Klang with job skills and financial independence. Achieved a 346% increase in sales since our partnership benefitting 40 mothers. SURI’s future plans include increasing the number of beneficiaries to 70 mothers in the next 5 years. The Bank procured more than RM 90,000 of SURI’s products for various events. The Bank procured 75 sets of sustainable-themed Media Raya Gift Pack with SURI.*
11	Green Hero through Jumpstart		N/A	Upskilling initiatives	N/A	Beneficiaries	Provides affordable and nutritious access to food for the budget-conscious community. Achieved a 370% increase in average yearly sales since partnership began. Green Hero has saved 34,666 meals from ending up in landfills since the partnership began. In FY2022, Green Hero is in the pilot testing phase of their surplus food-ordering app with its regular pool of merchants. The Bank procured 75 sets of sustainable-themed Media Raya Gift Pack with Green Hero*
12	Coffee For Good through Jumpstart		N/A	Upskilling initiatives	N/A	3 youths	Provides job skills and employment opportunities for low-income youth via an on-the-job training as a coffee barista. Since the partnership, Coffee For Good has been able to provide training and employment opportunities to 3 additional youths, increasing the number by 60%. Ongoing social procurement support from the Bank, which includes catering and festive gift sets.
13	The Asli Co through Jumpstart		N/A	Upskilling initiatives	N/A	63 Orang Asli	Focuses on providing home-based sustainable income for 63 Orang Asli mothers, with the long-term goal to uplift them from poverty. Achieved a 373% increase in average yearly sales since partnership began and grew its team from 10 to 63 Orang Asli mothers and 5 full-time Orang Asli youths working as sales and operations officers. The Bank contributed RM 34,400 to The Asli Co.’s sales. Additionally, we procured 75 sets of sustainability themed Media Raya Gift Packs.*
14	DuitSmart Platform	⬆️	N/A	21 Financial literacy workshops	N/A	1080 students	Launched in partnership with Debt Agency of Malaysia (“AKPK”) and the University of Malaya - Students (Universities and Secondary Schools) Promotes financial literacy, aligned with the Bank’s core focus in community investment towards financial inclusion for all communities in Malaysia - Visually-Impaired Community Outreach programmes conducted via online and physical face-to-face sessions - Broader Society via Digital Platforms - Reached out to more than 500 students across 7 schools via 9 financial literacy workshops - Reached out to more than 340 students across 7 universities via 12 financial literacy workshops - Reached out to more than 240 students across 5 schools for the visually-impaired - Bite-sized social media content for the public currently stands at around 3.1 million views
15	Program Celik Muamalat	⬇️	N/A	Financial literacy workshops	N/A	80 students	The programme involves a series of talks and forums aimed at educating and informing the public about Islamic Banking, touching on issues like product innovation and Shariah Governance. We also conducted a webinar which was attended by 80 Sunway University students.
16	Financial Industry Collective Outreach (FINCO)			Financial literacy initiatives	N/A	Students	In FY2022, we conducted two virtual strategic outreach events in which we engaged with school students and guided them on important topics of financial literacy.
17	Financial Industry Collective Outreach (FINCO)		RM34.0k	N/A	N/A	Community	We also contributed upwards of RM 34,000 to communities impacted by COVID-19 through the FINCO COVID-19 Relief Initiative.
18	HLB Employee CSR Programme (HECP)		N/A	Employee contribution worth RM1.14M	N/A	Community	In FY2022, we experienced more than 3,700 instances of employee participation and volunteer efforts which helped drive the success of the community contribution initiatives we conducted throughout the year. Via these programmes, we contributed more than RM 1,140,000 to various causes.
19	Mercy Malaysia	⬇️	RM55.3k	N/A	N/A	Community	Contributed more than RM 55,300 to MERCY Malaysia to help communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
20	COVID-19 Vaccination Programme		RM30.0k	N/A	N/A	Beneficiaries	Contributed RM 30,000 to UCSI University’s COVID-19 Vaccination programme
21	Kelab Kasih Ibu Prihatin		N/A	100 hygiene kits	N/A	100 single mothers	HLISB distributed hygiene kits to 100 single mothers in the B50 category via a strategic partnership with Kelab Kasih Ibu Prihatin.

⬆️ – shows an increase monetarily or the number of beneficiaries from 2021 report

⬇️ – shows a decrease monetarily or the number of beneficiaries from 2021 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 Hong Leong Bank Berhad’s 2022 Annual and Sustainability Report. Email correspondence was made between between 20 April – 3 August 2023 to seek further clarification, however, no reply was received.

Focus Areas of Hong Leong Bank Berhad

Beneficiaries of Hong Leong Bank Berhad

In FY2022, Hong Leong Bank Berhad contributed a total of approximately RM0.12 million in cash contributions and approximately RM0.30 million in in-kind donations. Half of Hong Leong Bank Berhad’s giving was directed towards Education, encompassing various educational and training initiatives aimed at providing job skills and employment opportunities. The largest portion of beneficiaries who benefited positively from HLB’s giving initiatives belonged to the Community category, accounting for 36.4%. This targeted group primarily consisted of underprivileged individuals who benefited from the bank’s giving initiatives.