Hong Leong Bank (HLB) has once again been crowned the Best SME Bank by The Asian Banker at The Asian Banker Excellence In Retail Financial Services And Technology Innovation Malaysia Awards 2023. This is the fifth consecutive time that HLB has won this award, signifying the bank’s consistent effort in catering to the needs of its SME customers.

“Being named the Best SME Bank five years in a row shows that we are committed to supporting and empowering our SME customers to expand their businesses through digitalisation, innovation, and sustainable practices. As a financial institution that is ‘Built Around You’, our main priority is to provide financial tools and solutions that cater to the SMEs’ specific and diversified needs, equipping them with the resources needed to better serve their markets,” said the group managing director and chief executive officer of HLB, Kevin Lam.

Meanwhile, head of SME banking at HLB, Kevin Ng said that the bank’s support for its SME customers is apparent not only in the financial solutions that it offers, but also the strategic partnerships and collaborations that it does with key industry leaders to benefit customers. Among some of the organisations that HLB had had partnerships with include the SME Association of Malaysia, the Small and Medium Enterprises Association (SAMENTA), and the Malaysia Motorcycle & Scooter Dealers Association (MMSDA).

All of these collaborations have led to the conception of value-added events and solutions for HLB’s SME customers, including roundtable discussions, nationwide roadshows, and financial schemes focused on particular market segments. As a result of these efforts, HLB said that it has seen a clear uptick in its growth in the SME sector; for instance, HLB’s SME customer base has grown significantly from 120,000 in 2018 to more than 250,000 today.

Moving forward, HLB will continue to step up its efforts to support SMEs through digital transformation and the implementation of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations in its operations. The bank also aims to double its ESG-related financing loans to SMEs within the next three to five years, with close to RM1.3 billion in renewable energy financing already approved for SME customers as of August 2023.

This latest award by financial services research platform, The Asian Banker comes at the heels of another recent success; just two months ago, HLB had also been named the Best SME Bank in Malaysia for the second consecutive year by Asian Banking & Finance, an industry magazine focusing on Asia’s financial services industry.

• TAGS:
• Best SME Bank Award
• Hong Leong
• Hong Leong Bank
• Kevin Lam
• Kevin Ng
• SMEs
• The Asian Banker
• The Asian Banker Excellence In Retail Financial Services And Technology Innovation Malaysia Awards 2023