PHILEO ALLIED BERHAD
Established as Allied Bank, it was subsequently renamed PhileoAllied Bank after being acquired by PhileoAllied Berhad in the mid-1990s. It started operations as a Malaysian-owned bank after taking over the single Kota Kinabalu branch of UOB.
In the late 1990s, PhileoAllied Bank was instructed to merge with a weaker Multi-Purpose Bank (now Alliance Bank). PhileoAllied Bank was sold to Maybank in January 2001.
I opened a PhileoAllied Bank account at the New Town branch, Petaling Jaya, on 13 January 2000 to credit my monthly salary into this bank account.
DIRECT ACCESS / SOUTHERN BANK BHD
"Direct Access" was the name of the first direct banking service launched by the former Southern Bank Berhad in Malaysia in the late 1990s.
However, Southern Bank Berhad was acquired and fully integrated into CIMB Bank in March 2007. The "Direct Access" service is no longer a standalone offering but rather part of the broader suite of CIMB's banking services.
Southern Bank Berhad (SBB), once the 9th largest bank in Malaysia with a strong retail and SME business, was fully acquired by CIMB Group Holdings Berhad in a significant merger that concluded in March 2007.
I am a Direct Access Mastercard holder while working with the Institution of Engineers, Malaysia. I opened a Southern Bank account at the Taman Seri Rampai branch, Setapak, Kuala Lumpur, on 5 March 2007.
EON BANK BERHAD
EON Bank Berhad was established after Edaran Otomobil Nasional (EON) acquired a 46.85% stake in the Sarawak-based Kong Ming Bank in 1991.
Following the Asian Financial Crisis and subsequent banking sector consolidation efforts by Bank Negara Malaysia, EON Bank Berhad was acquired by Hong Leong Bank in 2011. The entire business transfer was completed on 1 July 2011, and EON Bank became a dormant company. I was EON Bank Visa cardholder in the year 2005.
There is a separate entity called AEON Bank (M) Berhad, launched in May 2024 as Malaysia's first Islamic digital bank. However, it is not related to the former EON Bank Berhad.
KWONG YIK BANK BERHAD
Kwong Yik Bank Berhad was founded on 15 July 1913 in Kuala Lumpur and was Malaya's first local bank, aimed at serving the local Chinese community.
In 1996, Rashid Hussain, a prominent figure in Malaysian finance, acquired a 75% stake in the bank from Malayan Banking Berhad.
In 1997, Kwong Yik Bank Berhad merged with DCB Bank Berhad (Development and Commercial Bank). Following further mergers with Sime Bank in 1999 and Bank Utama in 2003, the entity evolved into the modern-day RHB Banking Group, which is a major, fully integrated financial services provider in Malaysia today.
.jpg)
BUMIPUTRA-COMMERCE BANK BERHAD
Bumiputra-Commerce Bank Bhd is no longer an active banking entity; it was a key transitional institution that was ultimately absorbed into the current CIMB Group structure.
Bumiputra-Commerce Bank was formed in October 1999 through the merger of two existing banks: Bank Bumiputra Malaysia Bhd and Bank of Commerce (Malaysia) Bhd.
The acquisition of the Bumiputra-Commerce Group by CIMB was announced in June 2005, and the restructuring exercise was largely completed in January 2006, marking the official launch of the new CIMB Group.
- Bank Bumiputra Malaysia Bhd, established in 1965
- The Bank of Commerce, established in 1924 in Kuching by Wee Kheng Chiang, formerly known as Bian Chiang Bank, served as the earliest origin point for the current CIMB Group.
BANK BUMIPUTRA MALAYSIA BHD (BBMB)
BBMB was a cornerstone of Malaysia's post-independence economic policy, established to increase the participation of the Malay (Bumiputra) community in the country's financial sector.
Established on 1 October 1965, following a resolution from the first Bumiputera Economic Congress.
By the 1980s, it had become the largest bank in Malaysia by assets and one of the largest in Southeast Asia.
In 1999, following the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, Bank Bumiputra merged with Bank of Commerce (Malaysia) Berhad to form Bumiputra-Commerce Bank (BCB).
BCB was later acquired by CIMB Group in 2005 as part of a major restructuring to create a "universal bank".
POST OFFICE SAVINGS BANK
Locally known as Bank Simpanan Pejabat Pos, it traces back the history to the 19th century, leading to its transformation into the modern-day Bank Simpanan Nasional.
The concept of saving banks within post offices began in British Malaya to encourage thrift among lower-income citizens. The first ones, such as the Perak Savings Bank (1888) and Selangor Savings Bank (1893), were managed by the respective state treasures before being taken over by the Postal Department.
In 1948, the Post Office Savings Bank was formally established through the merging of several state-level post office banks under the Post Office Savings Bank Ordinance 1948. It operated as part of the Postal Services Department.
In 1974, the Malaysian government established Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN). The BSN Act 1974 repealed the former ordinance, and BSN officially took over all functions and responsibilities of the Post Office Savings Bank on 1 December 1974.
.jpg) |
| I first opened my BSN account at the Sibu, Sarawak branch on 4 May 1984. BANK SIMPANAN NASIONAL (BSN) BSN was established on 1 December 1974, officially launched by the Second Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Hj Abdul Razak bin Hussein. It was formed to take over the function of the former Post Office Saving Bank, which had been set up in 1948.  |
AMANAH SAHAM NASIONAL BERHAD
Malaysia's largest unit trust management company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the state-owned investment management company Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB). Established in 1979, its primary goal is to promote long-term investment and financial well-being among all Malaysians by offering a variety of unit trust funds.
BANK KERJASAMA RAKYAT MALAYSIA BERHAD
Commonly known as Bank Rakyat, it is Malaysia's largest Islamic cooperative bank and the second-largest Islamic financial institution in the country.
Established in 1954, its original name was Bank Agong Kampong Bekerjasama-sama Persekutuan Tanah Melayu dengan Tanggungan Berhad.
.jpg)
MAYBANK (MALAYAN BANKING BERHAD)
The largest Malaysian financial institution. Founded on 31 May 1960 by Singaporean businessman Tan Sri Khoo Teck Puat, it began its operation from its first branch on Jalan Tun H.S.Lee Kuala Lumpur.
Maybank becomes the first Malaysian bank to set up ATMs and introduce computerised savings and current account services.
In the 2000s: Maybank launched Maybank2u.com in June 2000, becoming the first bank in Malaysia to introduce internet banking services.
RHB BANK BERHAD
RHB Bank Berhad traces its origin back to 1913 with the establishment of Kwong Yik Bank Berhad, Malaya's first local bank.
The modern-day entity, RHB Bank Berhad, was officially formed in 1997 through a significant merger.
1983: Establishment of Rashid Hussain Securities, which acquired a 75% stake in Kwong Yik Bank in 1996.
1997: Kwong Yik Bank Berhad merged with DCB Bank Berhad to form RHB Bank Berhad, followed by a merger with Sime Bank Berhad (formerly United Malayan Banking Corporation) in 1999 and the merger of Bank Utama Berhad into RHB Bank in 2003.
ARAB-MALAYSIAN FINANCE BERHAD (AMFB)
The former name of a major Malaysian financial institution that is now part of the larger AmBank Group. Incorporated in 1980 and subsequently listed on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (KLSE) in 1991. AMFB's business was vested into MBf Finance, and it was renamed as AmFinance Berhad (AmFinance).
CIMB BANK
CIMB is an abbreviation that stands for Commerce International Merchant Bankers. The name originated in 1986 when a predecessor entity, Pertanian Baring Sanwa Multinational Berhad, was renamed to Commerce International Merchant Bankers Berhad after Bank of Commerce acquired a controlling stake.
CIMB Bank's earliest predecessor, Bian Ching Bank, was founded in 1924 in Kuching. In October 1999, combining the Bank of Commerce and Bank Bumiputra Malaysia Berhad to form Bumiputra-Commerce Bank Berhad.
In 2005, Bumiputra-Commerce Group was acquired by CIMB and was renamed Bumiputra-Commerce Holdings.
In March 2006, the final major merger in Malaysia involved the acquisition of Southern Bank Berhad.
In September 2006, CIMB Group was officially launched by the then-Prime Minister of Malaysia.
.jpg)
UOB BANK BERHAD
UOB Bank (United Overseas Bank (Malaysia) Berhad) began with the acquisition of Chung Khiaw Bank's Malaysian operation, with a heritage dating back to 1951. UOB Bank introduced its first ATM in 1982, followed by the country's first drive-thru ATM and its new Menara HQ in 1984.
BANK ISLAM MALAYSIA BERHAD
Established on 1 July 1983, as Malaysia's first Islamic bank, following the enactment of the Islamic Banking Act 1983. It is a full-fledged, pure-play Islamic bank that provides Shariah-compliant banking and financial solutions to both Muslim and non-Muslim customers nationwide.
BANK MUAMALAT MALAYSIA BERHAD
Bank Muamalat Malaysia Berhad was established on October 1, 1999, as the first full-fledged Islamic bank in Malaysia. It was formed to meet the growing need for Shariah-compliant financial services in the country.
15 November 2017: The bank was accepted as a member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV), becoming the first Islamic bank in the world and the first in Southeast Asia to join the alliance.
.jpg)
TABUNG HAJI
The history of Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) began in the early 1960s with the aim of providing Malaysian Muslims a Shariah-compliant way to save money for the Hajj-related affairs.
1959: Royal Professor Ungku Abdul Aziz bin Ungku Abdul Hamid, a prominent Malay economist, proposed the establishment of a Hajj savings corporation to the government to protect pilgrims from unscrupulous middlemen and ensure their savings were free from riba' (usury).
1963: The Perbadanan Wang Simpanan Bakal-Bakal Haji (PWSBH) was established.
1969: PWSBH merged with the Hajj Affairs Office (established in 1951 in Penang) to form the Lembaga Urusan dan Tabung Haji (LUTH).
1995: LUTH was renamed to its current name, Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH), and is governed by Tabung Haji Act 1995 (Act 535).
Compiled by:
Hj Zulheimy Maamor
Lembah Keramat, K.L.
16/12/2025: 11.33 p.m.
.png)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
