Alliance Bank CSR Strategy Framework

In Our Community

We remain steadfast in our mission to improve the lives of the business owner and their stakeholders, i.e. their family, employees and customers.

Throughout the year, we help business owners adopt ESG practices and empower communities with education and opportunities to create long-term sustainable value for the business, community and the environment. We carry out various business support initiatives and community programmes such as the #SupportLokal initiative, BizSmart^® Solution and Economic Empowerment Programme (EEP).

The full details of our community initiatives are detailed in our Annual Report.

Responsible Lending/Financing

The Bank provides a range of funding solutions to help business clients sustain and grow through the different life stages. Our relationship managers proactively engage with all our clients to understand their financial situation. We then take the appropriate actions to help our clients based on their risk level and needs. The Bank’s credit policy prohibits lending/financing to illegal business activities that cause environmental harm.

The full details of our community initiatives are detailed in our Annual Report.

BizSmart^® Solution

The Group also provides practical assistance to business owners in various ways. One of these is the BizSmart^® Solution.

Launched in 2019, the BizSmart^® Solution portal is a one-stop online business community portal that enables business owners to reach out to new customers and access relevant solutions and resources to manage their business more efficiently.

Today, we have over 200 partners that offer solutions at preferred rates for services such as logistics, accounting and digital marketing. We also collaborate with Celcom Axiata Berhad to offer financing and connectivity solution packages; Bursa Malaysia to promote sustainability practices to small-cap enterprises; and Sunway Innovation Labs to provide mentorships, funding and financial literacy to entrepreneurs and students.

We organise regular complimentary webinar sessions with our partners and make available various resources such as business articles, webinars, market reports and training to upskill SMEs and their employees.

Through the BizSmart^® Solution portal, our clients gain brand visibility among the business community and new business referrals for participating SMEs.

For more information on the BizSmart^® Solution, please click here.

Halal in One

Our knowledge and experience of business owners' needs led us to launch the Halal in One programme, a halal ecosystem that offers financial and non-financial support to business owners venturing into the halal space.

The programme helps SMEs obtain halal certification, business advisory, business matching services, gain access to market opportunities and obtain customised financing for certification costs, premises renovation, equipment hire purchase or working capital.

In FY2024, we facilitated businesses in harnessing digitalisation tools, offering training and entry into online marketplaces through strategic partnerships with key players like the Halal Development Corporation (“HDC"), HQC Commerce Sdn Bhd and the International Institute for Halal Research. Through these collaborations, we facilitated over RM900 million in financing to SMEs, surpassing our target of RM650 million. Additionally, we assisted more than 120 SMEs in accessing market opportunities and aided five SMEs in successfully obtaining their Halal certification, thanks to our partnerships with HDC and HQC Commerce Sdn Bhd.

For more information on Halal in One, please click here and refer to our Annual Report.

SocioBiz

SocioBiz stands as a beacon of social empowerment, operating as a Shariah-compliant social funding platform dedicated to uplifting disadvantaged individuals and communities through entrepreneurial endeavors. At its core, SocioBiz enables the public to contribute back to society by channeling donations that help recipients to be economically independent, learn new skills and earn a sustainable livelihood. Cumulatively, SocioBiz has emerged as a force for positive change, having raised close to RM1.8 million over four impactful years.

For more information, please refer to our Annual Report.

Zakat Microfinancing

The Alliance Islamic Bank Zakat Microfinancing Programme (“AZAM”), launched in December 2023, is Malaysia’s first Islamic social funding programme that utilises zakat wakalah to uplift asnaf (underprivileged) microentrepreneurs. The programme promotes financial inclusion and equitable development through the provision of accessible and affordable financing opportunities.

AZAM adopts an innovative approach in the distribution of zakat and targets eligible asnaf micro-entrepreneurs. Zakat funds are disbursed as small-ticket financing in accordance with the Qard concept (loan without interest or profit). Repayments are then channelled into the pool, simultaneously expanding the programme’s impact by supporting more qualified asnaf entrepreneurs and ensuring the sustainability of zakat funds.

To ensure the smooth running of the programme, AIS partnered with Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (“AIM”) to oversee several aspects of AZAM, including screening of beneficiaries and providing the infrastructure for fund disbursement and collection, while Lembaga Zakat Selangor verifies the asnaf beneficiaries. A total of RM225,000 zakat wakalah was allocated through a revolving fund to benefit an initial 45 asnaf micro-entrepreneurs. Eligible asnaf micro-entrepreneurs who require working capital or capital expenditure support can access up to RM5,000 in zakat microfinancing funds. The Bank is targeting to disburse another RM225,000 zakat wakalah for 45 new recipients by Q1 FY2025.

For more information, please refer to our Annual Report.

Economic Empowerment Programme (“EEP”)

Alliance Islamic Bank Economic Empowerment Programme (“EEP”) launched in December 2020, aims to enhance the economic status of micro-entrepreneurs in the asnaf and B40 segments by offering comprehensive training in entrepreneurial, financial and digital skills. A total of 173 participants have been onboarded into the Programme since its inception in 2020.

Building on the achievements of EEP 1.0 in 2021 and EEP 2.0 in 2022, our latest programme, EEP 3.0, commenced in January 2024 in collaboration with Accelerate Global Sdn Bhd with the successful onboarding of 50 asnaf micro-entrepreneurs. EEP 3.0 entails a three-month structured training, as well as coaching and mentoring sessions. In April 2024, some of our EEP 3.0 participants were engaged in the AIS EEP Raya Cookies Sale at our headquarters. This initiative successfully generated RM12,700 in sales and approximately RM7,000 in profits within 2 days.

For more information, please refer to our Annual Report.

Employee Volunteerism Programme

Our impact goes beyond financial resources. We foster a culture of giving back by encouraging our employees to volunteer their time and talents. In FY2024, we launched our Employee Volunteerism Programme to further encourage the spirit and culture of volunteerism among employees. The programme not only recognises and celebrates employee contributions but also strengthens our community engagement and employee morale. The initiatives under the Employee Volunteerism Programme umbrella are also aligned to the Bank’s CSR focus on community empowerment, environmental preservation and providing accessible financial literacy education particularly for the underserved and underprivileged communities.

For more information, please refer to our Annual Report.

At the Workplace

The Bank is committed to equipping its people with the right skills, knowledge and tools to perform their roles effectively. We advocate open and transparent communication and promote a strong culture of appreciation at the workplace. To maintain a highly productive workplace, we promote a healthy work-life balance and foster continuous learning in our employees.

To learn more about our workplace practices, please click here.