RHB Bank to sponsor Singapore Cup

Kuala Lumpur, March 29, 2005: Fresh from the recent launch of its new Islamic banking subsidiary, the RHB Group has set its sights on expanding its presence in the Southeast Asian region.

The Group, in fact, already has a footprint in Thailand, Brunei and Singapore – the three countries where RHB Bank Bhd (“RHB Bank”) has branches. It is now banking on the most popular sport in the world – football – to give itself a platform on which to promote its brand regionally.

And RHB Bank is taking the lead in these efforts by becoming the first Malaysian bank to play a major role in Singapore professional football. Early last week, the bank inked a sponsorship deal with the Football Association of Singapore (“FAS”), making it the main title sponsor of the Singapore Cup for the next three years.

Executive Chairman of RHB Capital Bhd (“RHB Capital”) Dato Sri Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Taib said the RHB Singapore Cup was part of a new initiative by RHB Bank to promote its brand both in Singapore as well as regionally.

RHB Bank, which has had a presence in Singapore for more than 40 years already through its network of seven branches island-wide, will also be participating actively in other programmes such as youth development, community football and women’s football under a wide spectrum of the corporate support it is providing to the Singapore League (“S League”).

Commenting on the sponsorship, Dato Sri Sulaiman said, “This presents a unique opportunity for us to create and nurture a bond with our customers based on the love for football – undoubtedly the most popular sport in the world. The RHB Singapore Cup will help us reach out and further establish the RHB brand in the hearts of all Singaporeans. This is also in line with RHB Bank’s business strategy to make banking Fun and Exciting for our customers.”

“For the RHB Group as a whole, the opportunity to sponsor the RHB Singapore Cup certainly came at a perfect time, and the cost in terms of monetary investment is just right as well. It provides us a platform on which to build the RHB brand over the next few years, and thus make our presence felt in Singapore,” he said.

“Our partnership with the S League will enable us to solidify our presence in Singapore whilst also driving our regional ambitions by providing us with powerful brand visibility in the many markets in the region in which we operate. We also believe this would further bind the friendship and business ties between Malaysia and Singapore,” he added.

“This sponsorship is a two-fold opportunity allowing RHB Bank to enhance its goal as a meaningful contributor in the community as well as creating alliances with the younger generation through our many deposit and investment-linked products. RHB Bank has enjoyed great success over the years, and we are now well positioned to take on more dynamic challenges and explore new opportunities in the Singapore market,” he added.

A total of 14 teams, including four invitational teams from around the region, will participate in the first RHB Singapore Cup tournament, kicking off on April 16, 2005. Teams from Brunei, Indonesia and Thailand are expected to be invited to take part in the tournament.

Dato Sri Sulaiman said the participation of teams from Brunei, Indonesia and Thailand had given the RHB Singapore Cup a regional flavour, and the competition was fast growing into the premier club knockout tournament of the region.