When the business of a corporate is conducted responsibly, the reputation and standing of the corporate is enhanced and the high level of stakeholders engagement in CR initiatives could lead to higher market valuations and greater competitiveness.

Good CR is also an indication of good management which is expected to deliver long term superior performance of the corporate and signals better risk management capabilities, a vital ingredient especially in the current climate of uncertainty amidst the current financial and economic turmoil, the origins of which can be laid at the door step of ethical failure, corporate misconduct and inadequacy in risk management.

In Bursa Securities’ Corporate Social Responsibility (“CSR”) Framework, Corporate Social Responsibility is defined as “open and transparent business practices that are based on ethical values and respect for the community, employees, the environment, shareholders and other stakeholders. It is designed to deliver sustainable value to society at large.” This could well be the definition of Corporate Responsibility as CR is about integrating responsible and ethical practices in all aspects of a corporate’s business and deals with the issues of ethics, governance, the environment and social obligations. Therefore, CR encompasses a wider scope of what a corporate does, how it behaves and how it affects the environment, in addition to the social issues focus of CSR.

CR can also be equated to the corporate version of the national agenda on the creation of a competitive nation and a moral, ethical, caring and economically just society.

Although not called CR, and well before it became part of the corporate vocabulary, the Public Bank Group had already subscribed to the notion of conducting its business in an ethically, socially and environmentally sustainable manner which is encapsulated in its long held Corporate Philosophy which states that:

For its Customers

For its Shareholders

For its Employees

For the Community it Serves

As a leading financial institution deeply rooted in the Malaysian economy and in the community that it serves, the Public Bank Group clearly subscribes to the fulfilment of its CR. The Group also subscribes fully to the notion that in the conduct of its business and the delivery of its corporate and social responsibilities, the Group is creating value for all its stakeholders and enhancing the long-term sustainability of the Group.

The Corporate Responsibility initiatives of the Public Bank Group are focused on: