With a unified strategy across ESG, SME, digital and employee excellence, RHB Bank is redefining what it means to be Malaysia’s leading retail bank
Amid rising competition, evolving customer expectations and the push for sustainable growth, Malaysia’s RHB Bank is positioning itself as a future-ready institution with a multi-pronged strategy. Anchored in its ‘Together We Progress 24’ strategy, which concluded in the financial year 2024, RHB prioritised ESG integration, SME enablement, digital modernisation and a culture of performance – transformations that have now been validated by industry recognition.
Sustainable ambition
At the heart of RHB’s transformation is sustainability. The bank exceeded its RM20bn ($4.5bn) green financing target three years ahead of its 2026 goal, recording RM23.8bn by the end of 2023. It has since doubled the ambition to RM50bn. Green home financing rose 45% year-on-year to RM2.08bn and electric vehicle (EV) financing grew 122%. These outcomes signal a clear pivot towards decarbonising Malaysia’s financial ecosystem while meeting rising demand for responsible products.
SME as a growth engine
RHB’s reimagined SME proposition includes an online financing platform and dedicated ESG mentoring. The bank mobilised RM2.1bn in sustainable SME financing by mid-2024 and channelled RM411m through Malaysian central bank – Bank Negara’s Low Carbon Transition Facility. More than just a financier, RHB acts as an enabler, hosting ESG roadshows, educating entrepreneurs and embedding sustainability into the operational DNA of the country’s SME base.
Internet banking redefined
Digital transformation underpins RHB’s market responsiveness. With 2.8 million customers onboarded to online banking, the bank now records RM174m in monthly digital transactions. Its enhanced internet banking platform features balance transfers with personalised rates based on customer credit profiles and 80% of such transactions are now fully online. This shift not only optimises operations but delivers greater transparency and control to users.
Culture of performance
Internally, RHB fosters excellence through structured recognition. The High Performance Culture (HPC) Champions and Asset Elite Club programmes reward staff for both business outcomes and values-based contributions. Meanwhile, innovations such as the AI-powered ‘RHB Ask’ chatbot are freeing up an estimated 40,000 man-hours annually, allowing front-liners to focus on service delivery.
These efforts have been recognised at the Retail Banker International Asia Trailblazer Awards 2025, with wins in the Excellence in SME Banking, Excellence in Employee Recognition, Excellence in Internet Banking and Best Advance in Sustainability Practices categories.
Together, these awards recognise RHB Bank’s commitment to balancing profitability and purpose in a fast-evolving banking landscape and laying a strong foundation for its next phase of growth under the newly launched 3-year PROGRESS27 strategy, setting the stage for continued transformation and long-term value creation.