Chairman's Statement
"In 2012, Patami Grew To RM5.74 Billion, And Return On Equity Once Again Exceeded Our Headline Target Of 15.6%, Coming In At 16.0%."
Dear Shareholders,
When we read about the pursuit of leadership and excellence, for example in sports, a word we often come across is ‘focus'. While the dark clouds of economic dejection loom over Europe and the US, Maybank's focus is on its chosen region – Southeast Asia – where it offers an exceptionally diversified portfolio covering all aspects of financial services. And it is this diversity that has led to strong, double-digit growth in Profit After Tax and Minority Interest (PATAMI) for the third year running.
In 2012 – Maybank's first complete year since we changed our financial year end from 30 June to 31 December – PATAMI grew to RM5.74 billion, and Return On Equity (ROE) once again exceeded our headline target of 15.6%, coming in at 16.0%.
With the entire Group staff highly energised, Maybank's transformation journey continued with further improvements in capability building and operational efficiency. The regionwide investments we are making in In IT Transformation Programme are modernising and rationalising our infrastructure everywhere we operate. Coupled with this, the Group's efforts to consolidate our corporate culture are enabling an ever greater leveraging of synergies, for example between Islamic Banking, commercial and investment banking and bancassurance.
Our mission to humanise financial services across Asia is now acting as a unifying force across the Group, unlocking the passion and commitment of Maybankers to go above and beyond the expectations of customers and stakeholders. Meanwhile, increased cross-national assignments of staff have led to a more demonstrable agility in grasping opportunities. This is vitally important as the business community in our economically fast growing region is also practising greater intra-regional collaboration.
In our corporate responsibility activities, too, our approach is now increasingly regional. Throughout Southeast Asia, we are championing sustainable business practices, especially in the areas of close community engagement, environmental conservation and good marketplace ethics. Through a meaningful range of corporate responsibility programmes, our aim is to grow in tandem with our communities everywhere we operate, and to earn a reputation for being the "Bank with a Heart".
In 2012 the Maybank Foundation reaffirmed its commitment to wellness by making liver function its primary regional health cause. The Foundation will continue supporting initiatives that work towards making affordable, high quality special healthcare a feasible aspiration for communities, while education, sports and arts will also remain key priorities.
To Maybank's stewards – both management and staff – winning recognition is always a mark of progress. In 2012, reaching the top spot as Malaysia's Most Valuable Brand and being acknowledged as the most Preferred Employer in the Finance & Banking Category for the second year running were sure signs that we are moving in the right direction.
We are proposing a final net dividend of 28.5 sen per share, amounting to RM2.4 billion, bringing the total payout in 2012 to RM4.29 billion, or 74.7% net dividend payout ratio.
On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank our various stakeholders for the support you gave during the year. We are also especially grateful to our shareholders who continued to participate in our dividend reinvestment plans, and thereby demonstrated their faith in the Group's determination to build its capital base not just to comply with Basel III regulations but to strengthen the foundations for future growth.
TAN SRI DATO' MEGAT ZAHARUDDIN MEGAT MOHD NOR
Chairman