Getting closer to rural East Malaysia

• Bank Islam has expanded its agent banking services to four new locations in East Malaysia, providing convenient access to essential banking services for rural communities.

• The initiative, through a partnership with Ar-Rahnu YaPEIM and other agencies, allows customers to perform transactions such as deposits, withdrawals, and mobile reloads without needing to travel long distances.

• This expansion supports Bank Islam’s goal of enhancing financial inclusion and complements its digital transformation efforts with the launch of new mobile and internet banking platforms.

Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad (Bank Islam) has expanded its Ejen Bank Berdaftar (EBB) Bank Islam services to East Malaysia, bringing accessible and Shariah-compliant banking to underserved communities.

The newly launched agent banking services are now available at Ar-Rahnu Yayasan Pembangunan Ekonomi Islam Malaysia (YaPEIM) outlets in Semporna, Sipitang, and Kota Belud, Sabah, as well as Lawas, Sarawak.

This initiative aims to ease financial transactions for residents, eliminating the need to travel up to 100 kilometres to reach the nearest Bank Islam branch.

Customers can perform essential banking services, including cash deposits, withdrawals, and mobile reloads, at these locations.

Bank Islam’s Group Chief Operating Officer, Mohamed Iran Moriff Mohd Shariff, emphasised that this move aligns with the bank’s mission to foster financial inclusion.

“By partnering with Yayasan Pembangunan Ekonomi Islam Malaysia (YaPEIM) and other strategic collaborators, we are committed to bringing banking services closer to communities with limited access to traditional financial facilities,” he stated.

Since its launch in 2019, the EBB Bank Islam initiatives have expanded to 37 agents nationwide, with a target of 50 by the end of 2025. The bank also recently introduced BIMB Mobile and BIMB Web, replacing older banking platforms to enhance digital banking convenience.

In conjunction with the expansion, Bank Islam hosted a roadshow at Ar-Rahnu YaPEIM outlets in the new locations from Feb 24-27, 2025.