After a roaring return to festive celebrations last year, Chinese New Year 2025 is coming in hot – and we mean it! With preparations kicking off barely a month after the year-end holidays, it feels like last year’s dragon has gracefully soared away to make way for the snake’s charm and elegance. Can you feel the HUAT vibes already?

In true festive spirit, it’s time to revisit one of our favourite annual traditions – rating the year’s ang pow designs from Malaysia’s financial institutions. This year, the banks seem to have gone all out yet again, with designs that range from elegant minimalism to over-the-top extravagance.

But the ultimate question remains: how do these ang pows measure up on our HUAT meter? Let’s dive in!

Aeon Credit

Let’s start with Aeon Credit, which delivers a minimalist and classy ang pow design for 2025. Featuring a snakey motif with textured elements, it strikes a balance between festive and understated elegance.

Huat Meter: HUA

Agrobank 

Moving on, AgroBank takes a more playful and cheerful approach. Their 2025 ang pow is undeniably cute, with an adorable snake proudly sporting a golden bullion. The vibrant colour choice ensures it stands out in any CNY collection.

Huat Meter: HUA

Alliance Bank 

Alliance Bank’s ang pow delivers a traditional and festive design with bold colors, classic motifs, and eco-friendly paper. While it lacks the premium texture of its Privilege counterpart, it holds its own as a practical and charming option for Chinese New Year celebrations. A simple yet thoughtful design that balances tradition with modern touches.

Huat Meter: HUA

Alliance Privilege

From polished to premium, Alliance Privilege’s ang pow exudes sophistication with its refined texture, intricate details, and vibrant gold accents. While it leans more toward elegance than festive exuberance, it’s a classy and luxurious take on Chinese New Year tradition, perfect for those who appreciate understated refinement.

Huat Meter: HUAT

Bank Islam 

Next, we have Bank Islam’s ang pow, which impresses with its quality paper and textured finish. The inclusion of both Chinese and English reflects thoughtful consideration for their diverse clientele. However, the printing of the text leaves room for improvement.

Huat Meter: HUA.5

Boost Bank 

Boost Bank’s ang pow adds a splash of colour and playfulness to the mix. While its fun design is sure to bring a smile, it could benefit from more traditional CNY elements to make it feel truly festive.

Huat Meter: HUA

CIMB Preferred

CIMB Preferred’s ang pow exudes timeless elegance with its intricate patterns, ornate gold detailing, and a vibrant yet refined pink backdrop. The design incorporates traditional Chinese elements, including a key motif symbolising wealth and prosperity, framed by a beautifully textured border. While the design feels luxurious and premium, it leans heavily on a classic aesthetic, slightly lacking in festive playfulness.

Huat Meter: HUA

CIMB Private Banking

Now, let’s talk about the star of the show—CIMB Bank’s 2025 ang pow. With its intricate detailing and stunning textured finish, it exudes a level of sophistication and elegance that sets it apart from the rest. The floral motifs, rendered in delicate gold against the deep red backdrop, create a harmonious blend of tradition and luxury. While it forgoes the inclusion of snake imagery in favour of a more classic approach, its flawless execution and exceptional use of space ensure it leaves a lasting impression.

Huat Meter: HUAT AHHH

GX Bank 

Switching gears, GX Bank takes a geometric approach that, while stylish, feels more aligned with another festive season than Chinese New Year. That said, its versatility makes it an option you could reuse for Hari Raya.

Huat Meter: HU.5

Hong Leong Private Banking

Elegant and refined, this ang pow features vibrant florals and a golden wave motif on a deep red backdrop. Balancing tradition and modernity, it perfectly reflects Hong Leong Private Banking’s prestige. The balance between modern sophistication and traditional charm is spot on, making it a refined yet festive choice for Chinese New Year.

Huat Meter: HUAT

HSBC Premier

With a bold red base and a detailed lion motif, HSBC Premier’s ang pow exudes strength and sophistication. However, the design feels slightly subdued and could have benefited from more festive elements to better capture the lively spirit of Chinese New Year.

Huat Meter: HU

Maybank 

Maybank’s ang pow, on the other hand, feels like a missed opportunity. Its standard design lacks imagination and creativity, resembling a generic template rather than a festive masterpiece.

Huat Meter: H

OCBC Bank 

OCBC’s ang pows for 2025 feature whimsical and charming designs that stand out with their playful and vibrant aesthetic. While they may not fully capture the festive exuberance of Chinese New Year, their versatile appeal makes them suitable for various occasions. A delightful and practical choice that balances fun with tradition.

Huat Meter: HUA.5

Public Bank 

Public Bank’s ang pow, unfortunately, doesn’t leave much to talk about. While its colour and texture are nice, the design itself is unimaginative and basic, lacking any real festive charm.

Huat Meter: H

RHB Bank

RHB Bank’s ang pow combines a rich red-to-pink gradient with gold floral patterns, offering a warm and festive charm. A simple yet appealing design for the New Year.

Huat Meter: HUA

RHB Premier

Striking and luxurious, RHB Premier’s ang pow showcases bold, vibrant florals on a premium red base. Opulent and festive, it’s a perfect reflection of exclusivity.

Huat Meter: HUAT

SME Bank 

SME Bank’s ang pow takes us on a nostalgic trip back to the 2000s with its retro design. Vibrant colours give it some life, but overall, the design is too minimalistic as compared to the others.

Huat Meter: HU

Standard Chartered Priority

A beautifully detailed design with an ancient Chinese aesthetic. The texture, rose gold accents, and intricate detailing—like butterflies and birds—are exceptional. It feels alive and festive, capturing the essence of CNY perfectly.

Huat Meter: HUA

UOB Bank 

Lastly, UOB delivers a thoughtful and stunning ang pow that highlights local art. Supporting Malaysian artists, the design symbolises good fortune and celebration while being printed on environmentally friendly paper—a perfect blend of beauty and meaning.

Huat Meter: HUAT

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Disclaimer: The HUAT meter is – as you’d expect – entirely made up and doesn’t actually matter. What does matter is what you put inside these ang pows!

Let us know in the comments which was your favourite ang pow design this year!

The RinggitPlus team wishes everyone a Happy Chinese New Year filled with prosperity, good fortune, and endless huat!

• TAGS:
• AEON Bank
• Agrobank
• Alliance Bank
• Bank Islam
• Boost Bank
• CIMB Bank
• GX Bank
• Longform
• Maybank
• OCBC Bank
• Public Bank
• SME Bank
• Standard Chartered Bank
• UOB Bank