Economic Inclusion & Financial Literacy

At CIMB, we aim to enhance economic inclusion by providing underserved communities access to wealth-building opportunities. Our Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB) financing in Malaysia underscores this commitment. ASB is a unit-trust fund managed by Permodalan Nasional Berhad, with the objective to generate long-term, consistent and competitive returns whilst ensuring the preservation of capital at minimal risk tolerance level. This product specifically targets the needs of the underserved B40 community, representing the bottom 40% of income earners in Malaysia.

This ASB financing initiative provides financing designed to help these underserved groups invest in ASB trust funds without collateral at a low interest with a maximum cap. This helps the community generate more investment savings via the power of compounding and disciplined savings, thus fostering wealth building and promoting economic inclusion. In 2024, CIMB extended RM1 billion in ASB financing to 18,513 B40 customers.

Giro Kartini is a current account product tailored specifically for women entrepreneurs in Indonesia with lower income backgrounds. Women entrepreneurs, especially in emerging markets such as Indonesia, often face barriers to financial services due to gender disparities and socioeconomic factors.

This initiative not only provides financial support but also promotes financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills among women, a key underserved group. This product offers preferential rates such as lower account fees, transaction fee refunds, as well as capacity-building support for women entrepreneurs. Additionally, for every Giro Kartini account opened, CIMB Niaga donates Rp25,000 to support traditional weaving training for women with disabilities in Sulawesi, further promoting gender equality and economic empowerment.

As of the 2025 reporting period, total third-party funds (TPF) raised through this product reached Rp382.51 billion.

Despite being one of the fastest-growing economies in Southeast Asia, the Philippines' banking penetration rate ranks among the lowest in the region. Rural areas often suffer from limited banking access. Limited banking access remains a challenge in rural areas, where many are excluded from traditional financial services due to minimum balance requirements and monthly fees. Digital banking offers a practical solution by improving accessibility and encouraging greater adoption among the unbanked population.

Our efforts to expand banking access have been widely recognised, culminating in our ranking as the #1 Bank in the Philippines in Forbes’ World’s Best Banks 2023 List. This recognition highlights our success in providing essential financial services to previously unbanked and underbanked populations, fitting the criteria for increasing access to financial services for underserved groups. This initiative includes checking accounts and loans designed to meet the needs of underserved clients, with zero account fees charged, no minimum balance or initial deposit requirements.

Since launching operations, we have reached over 10 million customers and provided access to formal credit for over 4.6 million individuals, many for the first time. To support the millions of Filipinos working abroad, the Bank introduced a remittance service from over 170 countries with no hidden fees, allowing families to receive funds instantly through the CIMB mobile app without visiting remittance centres. In addition to this, in 2024, CIMB launched CIMB Kababayan, designed specifically for overseas Filipino workers, who can open a CIMB savings accounts on the CIMB mobile app in less than 10 minutes and enjoy high interest rates up to 15% with no minimum maintaining balance requirement, pay bills, and enjoy free Instapay transfers. To further strengthen financial resilience, CIMB also launched Own My Goals (OMG), a personalised savings tool that helps customers set, track and automate savings goals in an engaging way. The OMG tool, coupled with CIMB Phillippines’ attractive savings returns offers, helps our customers save more and reach their goals. These efforts reflect CIMB’s commitment to empowering Filipinos with accessible, digital-first financial solutions.

We have enhanced selected key financial products to lower entry barriers for vulnerable and underserved segments in Malaysia. These examples show how we tailor our solutions to improve access to financial services. 

• Fixed Deposits: Reduced minimum placement amount from RM5,000 to RM1,000
• Unit Trusts: Reduced minimum investment amount from RM1,000 to RM100 through digital channels
• Youth Accounts: With Takaful protection and a debit card

Through our partnership with Bank Negara Malaysia, the iTEKAD CIMB Islamic programmes expand income opportunities for micro-entrepreneurs and Asnaf individuals (those eligible for aid). The initiatives combine structured training, mentorship and blended Islamic social finance — leveraging Zakat and Waqf grants alongside Bank Negara Malaysia’s matching funds and targeted

microfinancing, to help participants build stable, long‑term livelihoods. Since its inception, RM4.6 million in funding has reached more than 380 beneficiaries through three key programmes. In 2025, CIMB Islamic committed an additional RM2.4 million to expand these programmes, supporting 220 new participants in Malaysia.

iTEKAD Program Keusahawanan CIMB Islamic–Taylor’s 2025

In partnership with Taylor’s Community and Yayasan Belia Malaysia, the programme provide a total allocation of RM400,000 to support 40 micro-entrepreneurs in the Klang Valley. Participants receive structured entrepreneurship training, with successful micro-entrepreneurs awarded equipment grants worth RM5,000 each to enhance their business capacity and

income stability.

iTEKAD CIMB Islamic Rider Entrepreneur Asnaf Programme 2.0

Reaching 160 Asnaf beneficiaries across four states, this programme integrates entrepreneurship and financial training with motorcycle grants and oneyear food delivery contracts with Foodpanda Malaysia. With a total contribution of RM1.6 million, this initiative enables participants to earn a consistent income while developing their financial management skills.

iTEKAD Melon Manis Terengganu Graduate Agropreneur Programme

In collaboration with Yayasan DiRaja Sultan Mizan and Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, this initiative, supported by a contribution of RM400,000, equips 20 underprivileged students with access to modern greenhouses, hands-on agropreneurship training and business support to develop viable agri-enterprises.

From 2020 to 2024, CIMB Foundation’s MicroBizReady programme has empowered more than 569 micro and small entrepreneurs from low-income communities to build business resilience. In partnership with Taylor’s Education Group, the programme equips participants with critical business skills, including digitalisation, business strategy, financial management and emotional well-being.

Over RM500,000 in grants has been invested to promote inclusive entrepreneurship, empowering women, persons with disabilities and low-income households to improve their livelihoods and financial standing. Building on these results, a three-year grant was initiated in 2025 to expand support to 840 new participants across five states in Malaysia.

For many micro and small enterprises, securing financing to ease cash flow pressures remains one of the biggest challenges to operating their businesses and remain competitive. In 2025, we launched several products to address this gap by offering financing solutions designed around flexibility, inclusion and ease of access.

In August 2025, CIMB Singapore launched CIMB FlexiPay , a “pay-as-you-earn” loan designed to support SMEs with smarter, more flexible access to financing. The first of its kind in Singapore, CIMB FlexiPay links repayments directly to a business’ daily revenue. On days with no revenue, no repayment is required.

In October 2025, CIMB Malaysia launched SME FlexiCash/-i , which streamlines the financing process through a fully digital channel. By leveraging transactional data from their business current account, businesses are prequalified, reducing reliance on traditional documentation and enabling faster onboarding, approval, and access to financing.

Launched in Malaysia in 2016, Be$MART is our flagship financial literacy initiative designed for university and college students, equipping them with essential financial planning skills. Delivered as a just-in-time programme, it engages youth at a pivotal transition point as they prepare to enter the workforce. Through engaging, interactive workshops, the programme equips participants with practical skills in budgeting, saving, investing, debt management, financial protection and fraud awareness.

Over the years, the programme has reached more than 23,000 students, including over 2,000 individuals across seven cohorts in 2025.

Be$MART was also replicated in Indonesia as a dedicated financial literacy programme for CIMB Niaga’s local university scholarship awardees. 41 awardees from 22 universities participated in the Be$MART Advance Level programme, which introduced investment concepts and money-laundering awareness, with support from the Indonesian Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center. Meanwhile, 42 awardees from 21 universities joined the Be$MART Basic Level programme, focusing on future financial planning and an introduction to the financial services industry.

The Ayo Menabung dan Berbagi (AMDB) and Tour de Bank (TDB) programmes aim to improve financial literacy among schoolchildren across Indonesia. 

AMDB Programme is an initiative to raise financial literacy awareness among young people. Bank implements various educational programmes and promotes the utilisation of financial products to support communities in making more informed financial decisions. These efforts encompass both short- and long-term financial planning, expanded access to savings and investment products, as well as the strengthening of financial resilience. As part of CIMB Niaga's continued commitment to collaboration and to keeping pace with trends in financial crime, CIMB Niaga continues its collaboration with the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) to provide education to students on the importance of understanding money laundering activities. Throughout the years, this programme has reached 80,325 students from 676 schools.

TDB Programme is a financial literacy initiative designed to build primary school children's basic understanding of banking through a hands-on learning approach. During OJK's Financial Inclusion Month in September 2025, CIMB Niaga supported the programme by delivering financial literacy and inclusion activities to 248 students from five primary schools in Medan simultaneously through visits to the CIMB Niaga Syariah Medan - Ring Road Branch. Throughout the years, this programme has reached 26,974 students from 478 schools.

Through the AMDB and TDB Programmes, CIMB Niaga introduces student savings products to the younger generation. In 2025, 4,125 new savings accounts were opened, with donations of Rp426.55 million.

CIMB Niaga has extended financial management training to educators. A total of 56 teachers from 18 schools participating in the AMDB and TDB Programmes attended online financial literacy sessions conducted across two training sessions. The programme is expected to strengthen teachers’ capacity as agents of change who not only teach financial literacy, but also demonstrate and apply sound financial practices in their daily lives.

JagaDuit is a financial literacy programme developed in collaboration with Agensi Kaunseling dan Pengurusan Kredit and more than 40 corporate and commercial banking clients. It equips our clients’ employees with the knowledge and tools to take charge of their financial well-being. Under this programme, 7,054 hours of training were delivered to 5,411 beneficiaries in 2025.

In 2025, CIMB developed the JagaDuit educational microsite in three languages, Bahasa Malaysia, English and Chinese, to expand access to financial literacy across Malaysia. We further amplified JagaDuit’s educational content through social media, podcasts, television and collaborations with financial educators.