KUALA LUMPUR: Hong Leong Bank Bhd
(HLB) has clinched three categories at the Asian Banking & Finance (ABF) Retail Banking Awards 2025, marking milestones in its five-year transformation programme.
The bank was named Best SME Bank in Malaysia for the fourth consecutive year, supported by an 11.6% year-on-year growth in SME loans and financing, nearly double the industry average of 6.7%.
In a statement, HLB said the recognition reflects its digital innovations, advisory services and expanded accessibility through branches, out-of-branch account openings and online platforms.
HLB also secured the Domestic Cash Management Bank of the Year award, citing over 700 corporate clients, a 95.52% customer retention rate, and more than 99% utilisation of its cash management platform. The bank’s solutions include real-time API integration for same-day fund transfers and cash consolidation services.
The bank also won Digital Transformation of the Year for its industry-first, AI-powered collections platform introduced in 2018. The fully integrated, web-based system gives the bank a 360-degree customer view, enabling real-time information sharing, predictive dialling and secured remote work capabilities.
It incorporates an AI humanised voice bot to improve customer engagement, resulting in a 47% increase in monthly call volume and freeing up 20% of collections staff for higher-value tasks.
The bank said the platform has enhanced efficiency, reduced manual processes and reshaped its collections operations in line with its wider digital transformation agenda.
"This isn't just about winning awards; it's about reimagining the way we do banking. Two years ago, we set out on our bankwide transformation plan, and these three accolades prove that we are on the right track. This vision has defined our operating cadence, where we have reevaluated existing structures, reimagined the customer journey, and unleashed a wave of innovation throughout the bank that is redefining what we can be to our customers.
