31 May 2012

AFFINBANK Offers 24-Hour Online ASNB Top Up Service

Kuala Lumpur, 31 May 2012 : Affin Bank Berhad (AFFINBANK) has officially launched its new 24-hour online service, the Amanah Saham Nasional Berhad (ASNB) Funds Top Up Service, via its online banking website, affinonline.com. AFFINBANK customers will be able to top-up or subscribe more units of ASNB unit trust funds. The launch places AFFINBANK amongst the four main banks in Malaysia to provide this particular online service.

"In this digital era where online transactions are more often preferred over the conventional method of over the counter, it is timely on our part to take things to the next level by offering the ASNB funds 24-hour online top up service. When we first launched our internet banking facility affinOnline.com in August 2008, we wanted to make banking as easy as possible for our customers and we are always on the look-out for new services and initiatives. Now with the new ASNB top up service, we are giving our customers better access to a wider spectrum of online transaction options," said AFFINBANK Managing Director/ CEO Dato' Zulkiflee Abbas bin Abdul Hamid.

"In view of the public's continuous and growing interest in ASNB unit trust funds, we see a tremendous opportunity here to educate our customers on the importance of investing, and to empower them with the ability to manage their own investment portfolio, to as much as they want to invest, whenever they find convenient to do so as well as investing wherever they may be. We are certain that the new online top up service will alter the public's general perception about investing as difficult and time-consuming," he further added.

Meanwhile, President & Group Chief Executive of Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), Tan Sri Dato' Sri Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman said that going online is part of PNB's ongoing effort to fulfil its mandate in enhancing participation of Malaysians in the corporate sectors and equities.

"We take our socio-economic objective very seriously and to provide an online service which further facilitates people to invest is only the next logical proactive step. We had the same objective in mind when we helped computerised the Post Office back in the 1980's, so that Malaysians could invest no matter where the remoteness of location."

"affinOnline.com ASNB top up service launched today complements the service of three other ASNB online top up services, in addition to over 1,600 agents and 26 ASNB branches nationwide. We certainly hope that the 10.9 million unitholders, holding over 145.2 billion units will benefit from this new online facility," Tan Sri Dato' Sri Hamad Kama Piah said.

AFFINBANK's Director of Consumer Banking, Idris Abd Hamid said that AFFINBANK is looking to reach out to a wider audience of customers with its latest service. "Our objectives are to focus on customers' loyalty by meeting their growing financial needs, as well as increasing our affinonline.com users and our customer base. Being one of the four banks in Malaysia to offer ASNB funds additional subscription via online and only the second bank to provide this as a 24-hour service, we are targeting well over 5,000 users by the end of the year. In this fast-paced society, we are looking for avenues for overall customer convenience and satisfaction. Ultimately, the move to tie up with ASNB will help us strengthen our position in the market and reinforce our brand and image," said Idris.

AFFINBANK is currently offering customers a promotional fee of 80 sen per transaction from now till end of August 2012. Subsequently the normal fee of RM1.00 per transaction will commence starting 1 September 2012. To enjoy this service, customers must have an account with AFFINBANK, a valid ASNB membership number and registered as an affinOnline user. ASNB existing unit trust fund holders can subscribe to ASNB fixed price funds, namely ASB, ASW 2020, ASM, ASD and AS 1Malaysia by using the affinonline.com (retail) channel. The subscription of these funds are subject to availability of the units.

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