ALLIANCE BANKING GROUP RAISED RM122,648 NATIONWIDE FOR 4 BENEFICIARIES

Kuala Lumpur, 11 January 2005 – Alliance Banking Group embarked on a nationwide “Alliance Banking Group Charity Sale” as part of its staff “Volunteer For Community” Programme in December 2004, which raised RM122,648 for 4 beneficiaries. The beneficiaries who received the funds are the Penang Adventist Hospital Heart Patients’ Fund, receiving RM15,882, Spastic Children Association, Johor receiving RM31,989, Sarawak Cheshire Home receiving RM3,500, Sabah Cheshire Home receiving RM19,888 and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), Universiti Malaya Medical Centre receiving RM51,389.

Alliance Banking Group staff sold used books, toys and handicrafts, cakes and cookies over a weekend in December 2004 as well as donated cash to raise funds for people with special needs in the various regions of the country.

In the Klang Valley, staff of Alliance Banking Group used part of the proceeds of their charity sale of RM40,550 to purchase medical equipment comprising 2 units of Overhead Warmer, 2 units of Pulse Oximeter, 1 unit of Blood Pressure Monitor and 1 unit of Centrifuge for PICU.

Lutfiah Ismail, Chairman of the Alliance Banking Group presented the medical equipment to the PICU as well as a mock cheque for RM10,840 for the Childhood Cancer Research Fund to Professor Dr. Chua Chin Teong, Deputy Director of Clinical Universiti Malaya Medical Centre today.

Among the guests who were present to witness the presentation were Ng Siek Chuan, Group Chief Executive Director of Alliance Banking Group, Professor Dr. Asma Binti Omar, Head of Pediatric Unit, Professor Dr. Lucy Lum, Specialist Consultant and other specialist consultants and staff of UMMC.

“At Alliance Banking Group, we are committed towards community development and to give back to the less fortunate in our society. Thus, we are glad to be able to donate medical equipment, critical for the treatment of the children in the pediatric ward as well as contribute to the Childhood Cancer Research Fund in support of medical advancement in the research of cancer for children. Going forward we shall continue to encourage our staff throughout the country to participate in the Alliance Staff “Volunteer for Community” programme to reach out to the less fortunate in their local communities,” added Ng.

Professor Dr. Chua Chin Teong upon receiving the medical equipment said “We appreciate that the staff of Alliance Banking Group have volunteered their time and effort to raise funds, so that our wards are equipped with extra medical equipment to aid in the faster recovery of the children”.

The charity sale is one of the many initiatives under the auspices of the Alliance Banking Group Community Programme, which include e-learning lessons and other community initiatives for less privileged children.

About The Alliance Banking Group

The Alliance Banking Group, which comprises Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad, Alliance Merchant Bank Berhad and Alliance Unit Trust was founded on 19 January 2001 from the successful merger of Multi-Purpose Bank, International Bank Malaysia, Sabah Bank, Sabah Finance, Bolton Finance, Amanah Merchant Bank and Bumiputera Merchant Bankers.

Alliance Bank has had more than four decades of proud history in contributing to the financial community in Malaysia with its innovative and entrepreneurial business spirit. Since its inception the Bank has been an integral part of Malaysia’s history. Over the past 45 years the Bank has grown from strength to strength by observing the basic tenets of prudent financial management, an honourable approach to doing business and an unwavering innovative and entrepreneurial spirit.

Alliance Bank and its related group of companies, are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Malaysian Plantations Berhad as of 23 September 2002. Today Alliance Banking Group employs over 3,000 people and its commercial bank has a network of 81 branches in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak.

About The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)

The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) in the University of Malaya Medical Center (UMMC) is a tertiary referral center dedicated to the care of critically ill children. Since opening in 1991, it has expanded to 10 beds and is staffed by full time pediatric intensive care consultants, specialists, medical officers and nurses. More than 400 children are admitted yearly from all over Malaysia, making PICU one of the busiest units in the country.

In 1998, the PICU Fund was set up to help subsidise the cost of care of critically ill children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and to supplement the purchases of life saving equipment. The PICU Fund is a sub-account of the UMMC account and donations to the Fund are tax-exempted.

The Government subsidises the majority of PICU’s expenditures. However, because intensive care and the equipment are very costly, public support is needed to help subsidise the cost of care of children from poor families.