HSBC Amanah to open more branches

HSBC Amanah Malaysia Bhd will be opening 18 more new branches nationwide within the next two to three years, investing between RM2mil and RM3mil in each outlet.

HSBC Bank Malaysia Bhd deputy chairman and chief executive officer and HSBC Amanah Global chief executive officer Mukhtar Hussain said it had obtained Bank Negara approval to open 26 HSBC Amanah branches in Malaysia.

He said the bank would open its next branch towards the end of the year in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, bringing the total number of its Islamic banking outlets to eight.

“We want to better reach our existing customers and potential customers and offer them choices either in the conventional or the Islamic banking segments,” Mukhtar said.

He was speaking yesterday at the official opening of the bank’s seventh Islamic banking branch at by Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman.

The other branches are in Petaling Jaya, Penang, Ampang, Shah Alam, Klang and Cheras.

“We also want to be part of the rapid development in Iskandar Malaysia and will leverage on our strong global connectivity to be business partners with investors in the growth corridor,” Mukhtar said.

Mukhtar said it also reflected the bank’s interest in the development of financial services, one of the four new economic pillars added to Iskandar’s Comprehensive Development Plan (2006-2025).

The other three new economic pillars that Iskandar’s stakeholders are promoting and developing are the health services, educational services and ICT and Creative Industries.