22/12/2025

MONDAY | DEC 22, 2025

12

BANKING & INSURANCE

UOB Malaysia, Invest Selangor to jointly attract global investors

Asians want to live better, not just longer: Manulife

PETALING JAYA: Alliance Bank Malaysia Bhd has taken a significant step in its digital transformation journey with the recent launch of an AI-powered Retail Loan Origination System (RLOS) developed in part nership with CTOS Data Systems Sdn Bhd and Juris Technologies Sdn Bhd. The platform, which went live after a 12-month development period, is designed to streamline the bank’s retail loan operations, enhancing efficiency, accuracy and overall customer experience. The RLOS, built on a robust and scalable architecture, automates end to-end processes, from lead manage ment, digital onboarding and loan document processing to origination, decisioning, disbursement and credit administration. It currently supports multiple products, including mortgages, per sonal loans and credit cards, with plans to expand to share margin financing and embed generative AI capabilities in the near future. According to Alliance Bank group chief consumer banking officer Gan Pai Li, the system has already Ű BY DEEPALAKSHMI MANICKAM sunbiz@thesundaily.com UOB Malaysia CEO Ng Wei Wei said,“The bank is honoured to play a role in supporting Selangor’s ambitions. We are committed to helping global businesses seize opportunities in Malaysia and across Asean. Through this partnership with Invest Selangor, we will leverage our regional connectivity and industry expertise to facilitate foreign direct investments, promote green practices and support the growth of high-value sectors in Selangor.” Invest Selangor CEO Datuk Hasan Azhari said, “The partnership will provide investors with the support they need to succeed. Invest Selangor is proud to collaborate with UOB Malaysia to position Selangor as a premier investment destination.” PETALING JAYA: UOB Malaysia is collaborating with Invest Selangor Bhd to strengthen Selangor’s position as a leading investment destination in Malaysia and the region. Both parties will work closely to attract targeted global investments, facilitate market entry for multinational companies, and support the development of high value, innovation-driven industries in line with Malaysia’s New Industrial Master Plan 2030 and Rancangan Selangor . Selangor State Executive Councillor for Investment, Trade and Mobility Ng Sze Han,said, “The collaboration reflects Selangor’s commitment to creating a conducive environment for global in vestors. By working with UOB Malaysia, we are strengthening our ability to attract high-value investments that will drive innovation, sustainability, and inclusive growth for the state and the nation.” Under this partnership, UOB Malaysia will leverage its extensive banking network across Malaysia and Asean to promote Selangor’s investment oppor tunities to foreign investors.

PETALING JAYA: As people across Asia live longer than ever before, a growing number are prioritising purpose and quality in a longer life, according to the 2025 Financial Resilience and Longevity Report for Asia unveiled by Manulife. It reveals that as longevity rises across the region, people aspire to live independently and healthily in retirement, but many still face challenges in achieving lasting financial resilience. The report, which focuses on Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, builds on Manulife’s established commit ment to longevity preparedness and is exemplified by the recent launch of Manulife’s Longevity Institute, a global platform that seeks to drive action to help people live longer, healthier and more financially secure lives. Manulife Investment Management Hong Kong Asia retirement head and CEO Calvin Chiu said, “Longevity is reshaping how people across Asia think about retirement. We’re seeing people rethink what retire ment means – not simply living longer, but living better. Financial independence, health and well being now define success in this new era of longevity.” The report shows that most Asians prioritise quality of life over longevity itself. Fewer than one in 10 respondents said they wanted to live longer regardless of circum stances, while half said they value living a meaningful life, and over

derate, with 58% expecting to be financially ready. Many Malaysians expressed strong interest in pension solutions that provide steady retirement income and protection against inflation. The report also highlights a common insight across generations. Younger, mid-life and older groups consistently ranked a work-free new chapter as their top priority when it comes to retirement outlook. This desire is strongest among the younger group (25-34) at 55% and the older group (60+) at 58%, while mid-life groups (45–59) show a more balanced view with many leaning towards balancing work and life with continued employment at the same time. The report urges individuals, employers and financial planners to rethink traditional retirement strategies, as life expectancy continues to rise. “Longevity should be a source of optimism, not anxiety,” Chiu said, adding that with the right financial habits and guidance, people can turn longer lives into better lives – and that’s the vision driving their work at Manulife. The Asia findings of the 2025 Financial Resilience and Longevity Report draw from Manulife’s Asia Care Survey conducted between January and February 2025. The study gathered insights from over 9,000 respondents aged 25 and above across nine markets: Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan region, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

o Report reveals quality of life and financial independence top priorities as longevity rises

Cash continues to dominate the average Asian portfolio, repre senting roughly half of non-property investments, reflecting ongoing caution towards risk. Many respondents cited fear of capital loss and lack of investment know-ledge as reasons for avoiding higher yielding assets. Property, once the cornerstone of Asian retirement planning, is losing its dominance. While most still regard it as important, only three in 10 now see it as less of a priority than before. “Holding too much cash and relying solely on property can leave people vulnerable to inflation and income shortfalls,” said Chiu. “Building financial resilience means diversifying across income generating and inflationprotected assets – and doing so early.” The report found a clear link between financial advice and confidence. Across all four markets, people who work with a financial planner are significantly more likely to feel ready for the future. “Professional advice can make all the difference,” said Chiu. “With the right guidance, people can move from simply saving to actively investing, giving them greater control over their future income and lifestyle.” In Malaysia, confidence is mo

one-third expressed a desire not to be a burden on others. When envisioning later life, people overwhelmingly said they hope to be financially independent, stay physically and mentally active, and age gracefully while maintaining their desired standard of living. These findings highlight a strong desire for autonomy and wellbeing, with many viewing health and financial stability as deeply con nected. Across all four markets, three quarters of respondents believe that their financial well being affects their physical and mental health, while 85% said financial wellbeing influences their mental state during retirement. “People across Asia want to enjoy their extended lifespans with dignity, purpose, and freedom,” Chiu said, adding that requires a shift in mindset – from saving for retirement to planning for longevity. Despite this awareness, less than half of respondents across Asia believe they will have enough funds to retire comfortably. Confidence varies widely across markets, from just 48% in Hong Kong to 77% in Indonesia. Mid-career individuals aged between 45 and 54 are the least optimistic about their preparedness, underscoring a need for more proactive financial planning.

Alliance Bank unveils AI-driven platform to improve retail loan ops

over the next three to five years. “We hope that AI capabilities will allow us to score customers and estimate potential credit exposure within minutes. This will enable straight-through processing for most products and allow us to serve new segments, such as gig economy workers, more effectively.” CTOS interim group CEO Loh Kok Leong noted that the system helps the bank evaluate both traditional and alternative credit data. “By embedding insights into the decisioning process, we reduce human bias and improve the speed and accuracy of approvals. This also allows Alliance Bank to reach underserved segments and en hance financial inclusion,” he said. JurisTech CEO, See Wai Hun explained, “Our platform handles everything from digital onboarding and prescreening to loan docu mentation and disbursement. It is highly configurable, allowing work flows to be tailored to different customer segments and is designed to accommodate the progressive approach of Alliance Bank.” According to See, the bank has begun implementing deterministic AI for specific tasks such as

Banking & Finance Gan said the bank is looking at further leveraging AI and data analytics delivered substantial improvements in operational efficiency. “We did it in phases, product after product. In the last six months, we have seen a productivity uplift across all three products. Mortgages, which used to take seven days, can now be completed in three days with full documentation. Personal loans now take one day and credit cards can be processed within the same timeframe,” she said. Gan highlighted that while monetary savings were not the immediate objective, the bank achieved significant operational efficiency. “The whole idea of having, for the first time, an automated workflow allows us to see who entered the system, how fast our credit under writers processed applications and how productive they were. These improvements are measurable and impactful for our lending opera tions,” she said. The platform also incorporates advanced data intelligence provided by CTOS, ensuring more consistent and accurate credit decisioning while reducing human biases.

From left: Loh, Gan and See at the rollout of the AI-powered Retail Loan Origination System.

vities,” she said. The collaboration among CTOS, JurisTech and Alliance Bank is seen as a blueprint for Malaysia’s digital lending landscape. The integration of AI, automated workflows and data intel ligence offers the potential to accelerate approvals, reduce opera tional bottlenecks and enhance the speed and reliability of retail lending.

document verification and pre screening, ensuring decisions are con sistent and fair. “Our approach ensures minimal errors and reduces the risk of discriminatory outcomes. While human oversight remains essential, these AI agents can autonomously handle repetitive, rule-based tasks, freeing staff to focus on higher-value acti

Education News/Health & Wellness TUES

ESG

Property

WED

MON

THUR