CIMB Bank Berhad has been recognised on Mar. 26 with two awards from The Asian Banker’s Global Excellence in Retail Finance Awards 2026, being named both Best Retail Bank in Malaysia and Best SME Bank in Malaysia.
The recognition highlights CIMB’s role in advancing the banking industry through innovation and its impact on retail and small- to medium-sized enterprise (SME) banking. These awards underscore the bank’s efforts to improve customer experience while maintaining sound risk management.
The Asian Banker cited CIMB’s focus on digital origination, fast decision-making processes, and embedded finance partnerships as key reasons for awarding it the title of Best Retail Bank. The bank was also commended for expanding customer acquisition beyond traditional branches and increasing automation, particularly in lending approvals.
Gurdip Singh Sidhu, Chief Executive Officer of CIMB Malaysia and CIMB Bank Berhad said, “We share this strong market recognition with our customers. Our efforts to advance customers and society is supported by the relentless pursuit of innovation and commitment to a future-forward digital framework, scalable technology and a customer-first approach. These accolades underscore our market leadership and dedication to delivering excellence across the retail and SME banking sectors in a continuously evolving financial landscape.”
Haniz Nazlan, Chief Executive Officer of Group Consumer Banking at CIMB added, “This recognition reflects the trust our customers place in us. We have been intentional in shaping a proposition-led approach that puts our customers at the centre of everything we do — from innovating new solutions, to creating seamless, omni-channel journeys and building a strong ecosystem of partners that extends the value we deliver. Alongside this, we continue to invest in next-generation technologies and AI to simplify processes and enhance how we serve. At the heart of it all is our commitment to delivering a better experience and making banking simpler, better and faster for our customers.”
For its work with SMEs, The Asian Banker highlighted CIMB’s integrated approach combining digital innovation with comprehensive product offerings as contributing factors for being named Best SME Bank. Lawrence Loh, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Group Commercial and Transaction Banking said that these efforts affirm “CIMB’s continued transformation in parallel with our SME customers,” pointing out new tools such as OCTO BIZ solution launched in 2025 with ASEAN connectivity as well as other innovations like SME Instant Apply.
Loh further stated: “Our flagship CIMB BizReady, GreenBizReady and Halal Biz Ready platforms jointly present a universal offering that helps businesses achieve their aspirations while reflecting CIMB’s purpose of advancing customers and society.”
