Summary
- CIMB and Maybank provided nearly US$12 billion in financing.
- Malaysian banks score above global sustainability policy average.
- Environmental groups urge stricter financial regulations amid haze crisis.
KUALA LUMPUR, October 28 — Malaysian banks CIMB and Maybank provided nearly US$12 billion in financing to Southeast Asian agricultural commodity businesses over the past decade.
According to a global Forests & Finance coalition report. The report found that CIMB scored 45% and Maybank 32% in sustainability policy assessments, exceeding the global average of 25%.
However, the coalition warned that voluntary commitments remain insufficient to address financing risks linked to deforestation, peatland destruction and haze.
Sahabat Alam Malaysia urged financial regulators to introduce mandatory environmental safeguards, stronger transparency requirements and accountability measures for banks financing high-risk industries.
