HLB Islamic's 'Hayat': A New Era for Shariah Wealth Stewardship

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – March 12, 2026 – Hong Leong Islamic Bank has initiated a significant strategic transformation, rebranding to the more streamlined 'HLB Islamic' and launching a comprehensive wealth stewardship proposition named 'Hayat @ HLB Islamic'. The move signals a deliberate pivot to position its Shariah-compliant operations as a primary growth engine for the wider Hong Leong Bank group, moving beyond transactional banking to offer a holistic, life-cycle approach to wealth management.

This evolution is anchored in a new philosophy, 'Timeless Principles Guiding Tomorrow's Wealth', introduced during the bank's 20th anniversary. It represents a clear ambition to deepen its connection with a diverse customer base and solidify its place in Malaysia's highly competitive and rapidly growing Islamic finance sector.

A Strategic Pivot for Growth

The transition to HLB Islamic is more than a name change; it is a calculated business strategy. The bank aims to leverage the strong brand recognition of its parent, Hong Leong Bank, to make its Shariah-compliant solutions more accessible and intuitive for customers. This move comes as HLB Islamic demonstrates robust financial health. As of December 31, 2025, its financing portfolio grew 8.7% year-on-year to RM50.8 billion, representing nearly 24% of the Hong Leong Bank Group's total loans.

According to Kevin Lam, Group Managing Director & CEO of Hong Leong Bank, the rebrand is a core part of a larger plan. "Our transition to HLB Islamic is a deliberate step to foster deeper brand affinity with our diverse clientele and a clear declaration of our intent to scale our Shariah-compliant franchise into a primary engine of growth for HLB," Lam stated. He emphasized the goal for HLB Islamic to become "the preferred gateway for wealth stewardship in Malaysia."

This ambition is set against the backdrop of a thriving Malaysian Islamic finance market, which accounted for 46.6% of the nation's total banking system in 2024 and is projected to reach over USD 740 billion by 2034. By aligning its Islamic arm more closely with the main brand, Hong Leong Bank is positioning itself to capture a larger share of this lucrative and expanding market.

Redefining Wealth with 'Hayat'

At the heart of the new strategy is 'Hayat @ HLB Islamic', a proposition that fundamentally reframes the customer's relationship with the bank. Moving away from selling isolated products, Hayat—Arabic for 'life'—integrates the bank's entire suite of services into a cohesive journey guided by the principles of Islamic wealth stewardship.

"We understand that our customers entrust us with the fruits of their success and the security of their family's future," said Dafinah Ahmed Hilmi, CEO of HLB Islamic. "We believe that financial planning should be grounded in a long-term wealth stewardship mindset; by building our solutions around the various life stages of our customers, we ensure that this journey is simple, seamless, and intuitive."

The Hayat framework is structured around five key pillars that span a customer's entire financial lifecycle:

• Wealth Creation: Establishing a financial foundation with products like the HLB Meezani Account-i and various Shariah-compliant financing for property, auto, and personal needs.
• Wealth Accumulation: Building long-term assets through investments such as ASNB Unit Trusts, Term Investment Accounts-i, and other structured products.
• Wealth Protection: Shielding assets and family futures against uncertainty with a range of Takaful (Islamic insurance) solutions.
• Wealth Purification: Facilitating ethical stewardship and religious obligations through Zakat, Sadaqah (charity), and Waqf (endowment) services.
• Wealth Distribution: Ensuring a meaningful legacy through services like will writing and Hibah (gifting) arrangements.

Dafinah added that this approach is grounded in Maqasid al-Shariah (the objectives of Islamic law), ensuring the financial path is "not only profitable but purposeful."

Navigating a Competitive Landscape

HLB Islamic's strategic shift does not occur in a vacuum. The concept of holistic Islamic Wealth Management (IWM) has become a key battleground for Malaysia's leading banks. Maybank Islamic, a dominant player, has a well-established IWM offering built on a similar five-pillar model and recently launched a regional offshore hub in Singapore. The bank aims to grow its IWM business by 30% in 2024.

Similarly, CIMB Islamic and RHB Islamic are aggressively promoting their own comprehensive IWM solutions. RHB Islamic, for instance, has set a target to manage RM6 billion in Islamic wealth by 2026 and has launched a dedicated digital portal to support this goal. These competitors, like HLB Islamic, are emphasizing digital integration, ethical principles, and a life-stage approach to wealth.

The launch of 'Hayat' is therefore a crucial move for HLB Islamic to differentiate its offerings and compete effectively. Its success will depend on its ability to execute this vision and demonstrate tangible value beyond what is already available in the market.

Digital Faith and Financial Convenience

One of HLB Islamic's key differentiators is its deep integration of technology to enhance the customer experience. A standout feature of the 'Hayat' launch is the seamless inclusion of Zakat, Sadaqah, and Waqf services directly within the HLB Connect mobile banking app. This move is significant, as it removes the friction of using external platforms and embeds acts of faith and social responsibility into the daily banking routine.

This focus on digital convenience aligns with broader trends in Malaysian finance, where fintech and digital-first banking solutions are gaining traction. By making Shariah obligations easier to fulfill, HLB Islamic is not only improving user experience but also reinforcing the 'purification' pillar of its wealth stewardship model in a practical, accessible way.

To mark this new chapter and encourage customers to explore the 'Hayat' ecosystem, the bank has launched a "Destinasi Impian" (Dream Destination) promotion. Customers who engage with products across the five pillars will have the chance to win travel prizes, creating a tangible incentive to begin their integrated wealth journey with the newly rebranded bank.