Winner: CIMB Islamic
Malaysian bank CIMB Islamic goes from strength to strength. Last year it introduced retail banking products to complement its already impressive wholesale business. By marrying its investment banking expertise with its consumer banking distribution capabilities, CIMB brought several new products to the market in 2008, such as the EcoSave-i, a paperless environment-friendly account with no passbook; an Islamic credit card where no underlying assets are needed but is rather based on ujrah (services fee); and Max Invest Save, a flexible retirement plan.