7th October 2026 - 3 min read
Students at eight Malaysian universities will soon be able to learn about budgeting, scams, and Islamic banking from fellow students. Hong Leong Islamic Bank (HLB Islamic) has picked 24 students to be money ambassadors on their campuses, as the first group in a programme called HLB@Campus.
The bank launched the programme at Menara Hong Leong on 6 October 2026. It hasn’t named the eight universities yet.
The ambassadors will give money talks and organise events on campus. They’ll also share money tips on social media and help run career talks at their universities. The bank wants good money habits to become a normal part of student life.
To prepare, the ambassadors went through training on how to spot scams and how Shariah banking (banking that follows Islamic law) works. They also learnt about digital marketing and career paths, and each of them will present a business project to the bank’s senior leaders.
HLB@Campus was first announced during the bank’s 20th anniversary, along with student account options and HLB DuitSmart money workshops.
HLB Islamic says the programme is a response to youth bankruptcy. Between 2021 and March 2026, 4,704 of Malaysia’s 31,517 bankruptcy cases involved people aged 34 and below, according to the Economy Minister. That’s 15% of all cases, or about one in seven.
Being declared bankrupt means a court has ruled that you can’t pay back what you owe. It can stop you from travelling overseas, and it makes borrowing money very hard for years. Personal loans were behind 46% of all bankruptcy cases in that period. For many young people, debt builds up slowly through Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) payments, credit card balances, and personal loans.
Students are also a target for scammers. In June, the Home Minister said scam syndicates were offering university students RM1,000 to RM2,000 for the use of their bank accounts. These are called mule accounts. Scammers tell their victims to send money into the student’s account, then take it out quickly so it’s harder to trace.
Letting someone else use your bank account or ATM card is now an offence under the Penal Code, after changes Parliament passed in 2024. You can be fined or jailed, and banks can block your account and stop you from opening a new one at other banks. A job offer that only needs your bank account is a scam. If anyone asks to use your account, say no and call the National Scam Response Centre at 997.
Both problems can start small, with one more BNPL payment or one favour with a bank account. A simple monthly budget, such as one based on the 50/30/20 rule, helps you see where your money goes before small payments pile up.
HLB Islamic hasn’t said when it will pick the next group of ambassadors, how students can apply, or whether students at other universities can take part.
Schools and universities can still request an HLB DuitSmart workshop by emailing capr@hlbb.hongleong.com.my. The bank says its money workshops have reached more than 50,000 people so far. The DuitSmart page also has money tips and audio guides you can download.
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As a creative content writer, Eloise has covered finance, business, lifestyle topics, and even moonlights as a singer-songwriter outside of RinggitPlus. Her current interests are learning the best ways to optimise spending and credit card hacks to gain more airline miles.
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