PETALING JAYA: Banks are undergoing rapid transformation, fuelled by digital innovation, financial technology competition, and increasing customer expectations.
In response, they are already preparing for the near- to mid-term to secure continued success.
Malayan Banking Bhd
(Maybank) president and group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Khairussaleh Ramli said the priority will be “to grow where Asean is growing”.
“We are reshaping our portfolio towards new economic sectors such as digital, technology, energy transition and advanced manufacturing, where long-term growth and relevance are strongest,” he said in the group’s annual report.
Khairussaleh said Maybank’s Roar30 – a five-year roadmap (2026 to 2030) to drive regional growth and modernisation – will help fast-track the bank’s growth ambitions.
“Under Roar30, this translates into a sharper focus on businesses at scale – businesses where we have the competencies, regional footprint and balance sheet strength to be a regional or global champion.
“These include global Islamic finance, regional wealth management, transactions and payments, and corporate and investment banking. Scaling these businesses allows us to drive more capital-efficient growth, deepen fee income and strengthen returns over time.”
Khairussaleh said this portfolio shift supports a move towards higher productivity, stronger risk-adjusted returns and more sustainable earnings, positioning Maybank for innovation-led growth over the next decade while continuing to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and the real economy across Asean.
“We are reinforcing our position as a deeply entrenched Asean bank by growing our business at scale and delivering integrated, cross-border solutions across Islamic finance, wealth management, transactions and payments, and corporate and investment banking.
“Technology and digitalisation are critical enablers of this ambition.
“Roar30 deepens our investment in cloud, data and artificial intelligence (AI); modernises our core systems; and embeds digital and automation capabilities across the group.”
Meanwhile, RHB Bank Bhd anticipates that geopolitical developments and market volatility will remain prominent features of the external landscape.
However, group managing director and group chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Rashid Mohamad said he remains highly optimistic about Malaysia’s outlook.
“Continued infrastructure investments and national initiatives are expected to sustain foreign direct investment, stimulate demand across priority sectors, and generate positive economic spillovers that will support employment and corporate growth,” he said in the group’s annual report.
In this environment, Mohd Rashid said RHB will “fiercely defend and grow” its net interest income by targeting higher-yielding segments, particularly middle-market SMEs and mid-cap corporates, while maintaining prudent asset quality.
“Concurrently, we will intensify our efforts to expand non-interest income through enhanced wealth management, bancassurance, Islamic wealth solutions, and cross-border business corridors between Malaysia and Singapore.
“In retail banking, we intend to build aggressively upon the growth achieved in 2025, specifically targeting the affluent and mass-affluent demographics.”
Meanwhile, chairman Tan Sri Ahmad Badri Mohd Zahir said the year ahead is likely to be defined by steady but uneven global conditions.
“Additionally, Malaysia’s economic fundamentals remain sound, supported by stable inflation and resilient domestic activity.
“While interest rate conditions are expected to remain broadly stable, funding dynamics and industry competition will continue to shape margin management across the sector,” he noted.
Encouragingly, he said investor sentiment and capital market activity may offer renewed momentum, particularly in wealth and advisory flows.
“At the same time, the operating landscape is not without complexity.
“Rapid advances in technology and AI are reshaping customer expectations and competitive models, while raising the bar for security, governance, and operational resilience.
“Geopolitical developments remain fluid, with the potential to influence trade flows and broader business confidence.
“While asset quality trends are currently stable, we remain vigilant to potential stress in selected segments.”
Furthermore, having delivered resilient results in 2025, Ahmad Badri said the board remains confident that RHB enters 2026 with strengthened fundamentals and a clear line of sight to long-term value creation.
Mizan Masram, officer-in-charge and group chief business officer (retail banking) at Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd, meanwhile acknowledged that the operating environment remains competitive.
“Deposit competition is likely to persist and margin pressures will continue to demand active balance sheet management.
“To mitigate these pressures, the group will intensify focus on growing fee-based income and selectively expanding higher-yielding assets across our retail, commercial, and SME portfolios, while maintaining rigorous underwriting standards and close oversight of asset quality.”
Mizan said these priorities will be supported by the transition of digital from an investment phase to a value realisation phase.
“With core platforms stabilised, our focus is shifting towards fully leveraging analytics and AI capabilities to strengthen customer segmentation, enhance personalisation, refine product propositions and deepen engagement, particularly among younger and digitally native customers.
“While competition from digital banks remains strong, our combination of strengthened digital capabilities and nationwide on-ground presence positions us to compete effectively and sustain primary customer relationships.”
