Kuala Lumpur, 7 July 2010 -Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad (Alliance Bank) and Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd (Temasek) of Singapore today co-hosted the 6th Asia Banking CEO Roundtable with the theme "Managing for the Future". The Roundtable event, which was attended by 27 delegates from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, China, India, Japan and Korea, is an annual Temasek closed-door initiative which brings together Chairmen and CEOs of major banks in the Asian region for a lively exchange on key issues and trends facing the banking industry.

The Roundtable not only provides opportunities for Asian banking stewards to interact and network with their peers and counterparts in the region, but is also a platform for them to share key learnings towards forging a deeper understanding of the opportunities and challenges Asian financial institutions face in a fast changing landscape.

The welcome remarks at the roundtable were delivered by the Chairmen of the two hosting organisations. In his opening speech, Dato' Thomas Lee, Chairman of Alliance Bank, noted that "(Post-crisis), many challenges of course still exist, and there are always new events that impact the global macroeconomic landscape which means that none of us can afford to be complacent. Nevertheless, after the tumult of the last couple of years, we can now perhaps contemplate the future beyond the crisis and we can start to evaluate what it holds for our Asian region, for our banking industry and for the individual firms that we represent."

"The post-crisis challenges that banks face are indeed enormous. Consolidation within the banking sector coupled with new entrants has increased the competition in the existing markets and new business areas. The aftermath of the crisis has also changed the regulatory landscape in banking. Banks are operating under tighter supervision at a time when they are also trying to restore customers' trust. They will have to re-examine the way they operate and manage for the future," said Mr. S. Dhanabalan, Chairman of Temasek.

The Roundtable event was graced by Tan Sri Dato' Zeti Akhtar Aziz, Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia, who gave the keynote address, entitled "The Changing Regulatory Environment and Its Impact on Asian Banks".

During the one-day session which was moderated by Mrs Laura Cha, Deputy Chairman of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, delegates discussed the four major issues facing the region today: The New Financial Landscape; Growth Strategies Post-Crisis; Expanding Beyond: Tapping Opportunities in Pan-Asian Banking; and Competing in the Global Market: Opportunities and Challenges for Islamic Finance.

"It's clear that Asia's financial landscape will continue to evolve and that Asia is continuing to establish its own regional identity. Asia is an economic force to be reckoned with and it will continue to strengthen its place at the global table. Against this, we thought that these four topics would help frame some of the key issues that we all face," observed Dato' Thomas.

Alliance Financial Group is a dynamic, integrated financial services group offering end-to-end financing solutions through its consumer banking, SME banking, commercial banking, wholesale banking, Islamic banking, investment banking and stock broking businesses as well as unit trust and asset management by providing products and services that are suited for every customer at every stage of their life.

The Group has five decades of proud history in contributing to the financial community in Malaysia with its innovative and entrepreneurial business spirit. Today, the Group is involved in the provision of financial services through its principal subsidiaries, Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad, Alliance Investment Bank Berhad, Alliance Islamic Bank Berhad and Alliance Investment Management Berhad. It provides easy access throughout the country by serving its broad base of customers via multi-pronged delivery channels which include retail branches, Alliance Personal branches, Alliance Rakan branches, Privilege Banking Centres, Islamic Banking Centres, Business Centres, Investment Bank branches, direct marketing offices and unit trust agent offices located nationwide in a mix of rural and urban areas.

The Group's aspiration is to be Malaysia's premier integrated financial services group delivering the best customer experience and creating long-term shareholder value. Strategic alliances, enhanced group synergy, excellent technology and human capital will be the key to creating long-term value for all stakeholders.