By Maybank PGCEO Dato Khairussaleh Ramli

The continuous strengthening of the ASEAN economy in the last decade showcased the true resilience of the region, coupled with promising economic prospects owing to its strategic location, diverse economies, and commitment to regional integration. With the ASEAN-6 GDP growth strengthening to +4.8% in 2024 from +4% in 2023, and to remain stable at +4.7% in 2025, the region is in a strong position for accelerated growth and at the same time cushioning the risks from geopolitical uncertainties.

Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship comes at an opportune time. It underpins the theme of "Inclusivity and Sustainability", signalling the need for cohesive socio-economic development and planetary wellness. With Maybank already well aligned to the theme, our joint aspiration is to empower a people centric ASEAN, not just for 2025, but going beyond it. This is our differentiating factor, centred on our purpose, which is to be a values-driven platform powered by a bionic workforce that humanises financial services.

To deliver on this aspiration, we bring our strengths together via four main pillars, namely, Values- Based Finance, Inclusive Economy for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), Sustainability and Social Impact. Maybank's involvement will be centred on supporting regional financial stability and facilitating cross-border trade and investment within the ASEAN Economic
Community as well as accelerating community empowerment initiatives across the region.

We have the opportunity to strengthen our commitment to a diverse set of beneficiary segments including Students, Youth, Women, Persons With Disabilities (PWDs), Marginalised Communities via our Beyond Banking initiatives and Corporates, SMEs and mSMEs and Individuals via our Banking Initiatives.

Our commitment will include supporting key ASEAN Chairmanship initiatives, including organising thought leadership forums surrounding ASEAN-led meetings and events, partnerships with Ministries and ASEAN, and introducing new products and solutions that will further accommodate the operating environment. We have the right expertise to see this through. Via our deep understanding of the region, holistic approach, and smart multi-level collaborations, we remain optimistic of the prospects. The time is now, to create meaningful outcomes for all our stakeholders, and we have already made several headways.

In connecting ASEAN to the world, we have ramped up expansion of our Values-Based Finance offerings and will continue to drive innovative sustainable solutions across key markets. This will be underlined by the purpose of being a values based platform, incorporating the features of sustainability and ethical principles into our solutions and offerings to customers via myimpact. We have introduced multiple solutions under myimpact, and the recent launch of HERpower aims to increase our SME portfolio led by women entrepreneurs from 20% to 25% by 2026. This initiative will support over 43 million women-led SMEs in the region namely in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines and Cambodia.

We also remain steadfast in strengthening our global Islamic banking position. This is prominent through our efforts to attain Islamic Wealth Management leadership position in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia with our Asset Under Management (AUM) growing by 35% Y-o-Y to RM85.3 billion. This and among other factors have culminated in maintaining our top 5 global leadership position. Additionally, the introduction of Salaam Market as a one-stop digital platform that allows SMEs to source halal-certified products at competitive prices will further boost businesses' competitiveness in the Halal economy.

In supporting ASEAN's role in managing key regional affairs, particularly in sub-regions like the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), Maybank is committed to be the preferred bank for Malaysia-Singapore transactions as we actively engage and connect businesses and governments for mutual benefit of both nations. Our support includes joint efforts to attract investments from Singapore but also as a gateway to expand in ASEAN. This will also include enabling key industries to thrive such as data centres, semiconductors, wealth management, logistics and manufacturing.

Through our global banking segment, we have placed an added focus to drive cross border trade and investment by enhancing regional cash management services for our customers via seamless digital onboarding. We also remain committed to serve the region by facilitating a stimulus investment environment as we continue to top the league tables by ranking #1 in ASEAN equity capital market and defended leadership across products in Malaysia.

With our strong footprint across the region, we are capable to further connect and broaden our clients' access to the global economy. In supporting this agenda, our Invest ASEAN series will take centre stage with the objective of bringing together the region's major investors, high net worth individuals, family offices and corporates in one centralised platform for engaging and
revealing conversations. With Sustainability being a critical factor on the future of doing business, Maybank will be playing
an even more active role in transitioning the region. We surpassed RM100 billion in sustainable finance in September 2024, and published a white paper on decarbonisation plans covering the power, palm oil, steel and aluminium sectors, outlining our interim emissions targets and decarbonisation strategies.

As we strive to strengthen ASEAN as an attractive economic destination, we are cognisant for the need to drive positive Social Impact across the region. Through Maybank's social impact arm, Maybank Foundation, which is the only financial institution in the region to have an ASEAN accreditation, and our extended business sectors, we remain steadfast to uplifting the communities we serve via our Beyond Banking and Banking initiatives.

In ensuring sustainable value creation for the region, Maybank has implemented measures to enhance its workforce's capability. Through Maybank's diverse ASEAN-centric workforce with 99% of it are from ASEAN countries, we have a future-ready workforce and we are in a strong position to further contribute to the region's success. 25% of our employees are now in next-gen roles, equipped with Data, Digital, and IT skills, and we will continue to upskill them via comprehensive talent development programmes.

The ASEAN Chairmanship by Malaysia will strengthen the region's position as a competitive economic block, further connecting itself to the global economies. Maybank will play its own role to support this Chairmanship, leveraging new economy opportunities favourable to the countries in Southeast Asia while solidifying the region's overall socio-economic growth prospects.