KUCHING, May 9 ― Sarawak remains steadfast in its commitment to nurture collaborative partnerships with strategic allies for the betterment of its people and stakeholders, said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.

He said this aspiration could be achieved through a comprehensive economic ecosystem which is needed to propel the state’s economic development.

“Our target is to see an economic growth from RM146 billion in 2022 to RM282 billion in 2030,” he said during the Affin Bank Ramah Tamah Aidilfitri celebration here yesterday.

The text of the Premier’s speech was read by Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

Adding on, Abang Johari said joint initiatives with financial institutions like Affin Group could be seen as an effort to enhance financial inclusion and ensure that Sarawak has a dynamic financial sector capable of meeting the economic needs of all segments of society.

He said the Affin Group is seen to be highly committed to expand their products and services, which includes community banking, corporate banking and investment banking.

This, he noted, is in line with the state government’s effort to boost the local business and entrepreneurship segment.

“I welcome this initiative and hope that the Affin Group can continue to expand their opportunities and services in the state so that all segments of society, including low-income groups and small traders regardless of their locations will be able to have access to financial products and services to meet their needs,” he added.

With a strong support system in place, Abang Johari said he is optimistic that the aspiration to achieve growth, security and prosperity for Sarawak can be realised.

He also said his main priority was to transform Sarawak into a developed state by the year 2030.

Meanwhile, Affin Bank Berhad president and group chief executive officer Datuk Wan Razly Abdullah in his speech said they are planning to create more presence in Sarawak by opening eight to 10 new branches across the state under the Affin Axelerate 2028 Plan (AX28).

He said Affin currently operates six branches in Sarawak ― three in Kuching, one in Sibu, one in Miri and another in Bintulu.

“The AX28 will act as a platform to focus on five main areas, with the first area on private banking for customers in the T20 segment with investment portfolios of more than RM2 million,” he said.

He said the second and third areas are to spearhead digital initiatives with a capital expenditure of RM400 million, and create more presence in Sarawak by opening up new branches.

The fourth area, he said, would be to optimise capital efficiency to achieve a return on equity of 12 per cent by 2028, while the fifth area is to enhance the environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices from the current 8.6 per cent to 25 per cent of total loans by 2028.

“To expand and strengthen Affin’s presence in Sarawak, we will extend our branch network which includes our Triple Banking branches that combine Affin Bank, Affin Islamic and Affin Hwang Investment Bank.”

One of the Triple Banking branches was opened at NorthBank in Tabuan Jaya last month.

“In addition to NorthBank, I am pleased to announce that our second branch in Bintulu town (Affin Springfield Bintulu Branch) will commence operations this August,” Wan Razly said.

He also announced that their Mobile Financial Centre (MFC), currently undergoing checks at the Royal Malaysian Customs Department, will begin to operate at the end of this month.

“These initiatives demonstrate our commitment to unrivalled customer service, as seen in our Net Promoter Score of +69 which makes Affin Group among the top three in the industry.”

Wan Razly said Affin does not merely focus on finance and service improvements, as they also prioritise efforts to build strong and lasting relationships with their customers.

This, he said, is in line with their vision to become the ‘Most Creative and Innovative Financial Company’ in Malaysia.

Among those present at the Aidilfitri gathering were State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohd Abu Bakar Marzuki, Affin Bank chairman Dato Agil Natt, Affin Islamic chairman Musa Abdul Malek, Affin Hwang Investment Bank chairman Tunku Afwida Tunku Abdul Malek. ― The Borneo Post

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/05/09/sarawak-premier-comprehensive-economic-system-key-to-propelling-states-growth/133335