Asiamoney Best Bank Awards

UOB may appear a bit of a laggard in the corporate social responsibility space when compared to bigger – and more vocal – peers like DBS Bank. However, it has come into its own regarding sustainability and CSR recently; in April 2021, it appointed its first chief sustainability officer, Eric Lim, to sharpen the focus on achieving its sustainability objectives.

A bank can always plan for the worst. But it demonstrates its skills and understanding of the market and clients from the way it responds and keeps its business humming when the worst actually happens. In Singapore, Citi did a stellar job in navigating the havoc caused by the pandemic in the past 18 months, making it Asiamoney’s pick for best international bank in the city-state.

Singapore’s DBS Bank had to navigate two severe headwinds in the past 18 months: the myriad disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the difficulty of operating in a near-zero interest rate environment.

Singapore’s DBS Bank had to navigate two severe headwinds in the past 18 months: the myriad disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the difficulty of operating in a near-zero interest rate environment.

Investors in Malaysia tend to be distracted by the large, government-linked companies that tower over the economy. In reality, small and medium-sized enterprises are the lifeblood of Malaysia Inc: 98.5% of businesses are SMEs of myriad sizes and across all sectors, and these enterprises account for 39% – or $131 billion – of Malaysia's gross domestic product.

With 116 years on the local scene, Hong Leong Bank tends to walk away with awards for its innovative and steady business for small and medium-sized enterprises.

To put Maybank Investment Bank’s performance in perspective, consider this: it notched up $12.3 billion of investment banking deals in the 12 months to June 1, which was 34% more than its closest rival.

AmBank’s chief executive, Sulaiman Mohd Tahir, and his team didn’t need any nudges from the Malaysian government as 2020 descended into economic chaos. AmBank was already way ahead of pleas from the government to extend loan payment schedules: it offered creative restructuring plans and generous repayment assistance packages.

Over the last decade, CIMB Islamic Bank, led by chief executive Ahmad Shahriman Mohd Shariff, has emerged as a premier medium-sized, full-service Islamic franchise in the Asean region.