SME Bank Clinches Best Sustainability Sukuk Award at The Asset Triple A Islamic Finance Awards 2024

KUALA LUMPUR: 9 October 2024 – SME Bank Malaysia Berhad (“SME Bank”) was once again honoured with the prestigious Best Sustainability Sukuk Award for SME category by The Asset Triple A Islamic Finance Awards 2024 (“The Asset”), following the Bank’s win in the same category in the Asset’s 2023 edition.

Datuk Dr. Mohammad Hardee Ibrahim, Acting Group President/Chief Executive Officer of SME Bank said, “We are honoured to once again receive this recognition as this marks our seventh award the Bank has received for the Sustainability Sukuk Wakalah Programme, which is a testament to our commitment in recognising sustainability as an integral component of the economy. From the year 2022 up until August 2024, we have successfully approved sustainable financing worth RM7.76 billion and this underscores our mission to empower SMEs and promoting sustainable growth, whilst contributing to the nation’s economic prosperity.”

The award-winning Sustainability Sukuk took place in May 2023 and marked SME Bank’s third AAA Sukuk issuance. The total order for the Sukuk issuance exceeded RM1.0 billion, surpassing the initial desired size of RM500 million. The Sustainability Sukuk was priced at a competitive profit rate of 4.05%, making it an attractive investment option to cater to the burgeoning demand from investors. Additionally, the SME Bank's Sukuk Wakalah programme was assigned AAA ratings by the Malaysian Rating Corporation Bhd (“MARC”) and has achieved the Gold standard, the highest rating under MARC's Sustainability Sukuk Framework Assessment.

Zakiah Mat Esa, Chief Sustainability Officer of SME Bank said “As a development financial institution mandated in value creation for SMEs, we remain committed in supporting Malaysia’s aspirations towards achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 through our innovative financial products. The proceeds of the Sustainability Sukuk Wakalah programme will exclusively be utilised to finance projects that are aligned with environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) considerations. This further spotlights SME Bank’s proven track record of creditworthiness and strong governance in sustainable practices, which also aligns with Bank Negara Malaysia’s value-based intermediation to make a positive and lasting impact on society and the community at large.”

The successful issuance of the Sukuk was led by various financial institutions, namely RHB Investment Bank Berhad, AmInvestment Bank Berhad, CIMB Investment Bank Berhad, and Maybank Investment Bank Berhad.

For further details on SME Bank’s financial facilities and entrepreneurial training programmes, please visit www.smebank.com.my, SME Bank’s Facebook page, or contact SME Bank’s Contact Centre at at 603-26037700.