ALLIANCE BANK WELL-PLACED TO BE DISTRIBUTOR OF PREMIER FUNDS

Kuala Lumpur, 5 May 2006 - Alliance Bank is well-placed to be a distributor of premier funds in a strategic re-positioning of its wealth management business to bring top performing funds to the investing public for better choices to suit each stage of life and also enhanced returns on investments.

In line with this, Alliance Bank today launched a new initiative with an alliance in wealth management with seven unit trust management companies. This will more than double the total number of unit trust management companies on the bank's panel from an initial four to 11.

Group Chief Executive Officer Bridget Lai represented Alliance Bank in a ceremony to seal this strategic alliance with seven unit trust management companies namely AmInvestment Services Berhad, CMS Trust Management Berhad, Hwang-DBS Investment Management Berhad, ING Funds Berhad, Prudential Unit Trusts Berhad, PHEIM Unit Trust Berhad and Kenanga Unit Trust Berhad.

"Concurrent with the growth in number of unit trust management companies in Alliance Bank's stable, is the more than three-fold increase in unit trust funds from 24 to 75, that we will be distributing," she added.

"It is not just the exponential increase in the quantity but also in quality of unit trust funds which are selected based on the Bank's independent research house, Perkasa Normandy Advisers' proprietary methodological analysis covering main aspects of quantitative evaluation focusing on risk, returns and risk-adjusted measurements, which includes forward-looking analysis.

Alliance Bank will have the distinction of wider range of offerings in terms of top performing and best-of-breed unit trust funds, thus underscoring our commitment to be best-of-class in wealth management," Lai said.

This latest initiative follows the appointment of Perkasa Normandy Advisers to continuously assess and rank unit trust funds on the Bank's panels to ensure that the Bank represents only the best in the market and at the same time provide independent research analysis and view on the market, unit trust industry development and performance of funds.

Together with Perkasa Normandy, Alliance Bank has also developed an e-portal, Alliance WealthGuide to provide sales staff access to up-to-date vital information such as market reports, fund fact sheets, research analysis and fund prices, thus increasing their knowledge, honing their skills, and raising their competency in marketing financial planning services.

This e-portal underscores Alliance Bank's commitment to leverage on technology to enhance the value proposition to customers in wealth management. In line with this, the web-based e-portal with 24 x7 capability, will soon be made available exclusively to unit trust customers so that they can have a finger on the pulse of what pulsates the financial market as well as update their investment portfolio any time, any day, any where at their convenience.

Alliance will invest in up-skilling its sales team and upgrading its sales performance management infrastructure to enhance the productivity and competency of its sales force.

"Alliance Bank is poised to aggressively expand our wealth management business with the aim to be the choice unit trust provider with its value add in driving customers' investment worth and enhancing their returns on investment," said Lai.

This growth agenda is also in tandem with Alliance Bank's overall objective to be a totally integrated banking group with products and services suited for every customer at every stage of their life according to their needs and risk profile, she added.

About Alliance Bank

Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad has had five decades of proud history in contributing to the financial community with its innovative and entrepreneurial business spirit. Since its inception the Bank has been an integral part of Malaysia's history. Over the past 50 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 is wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysian Plantations Berhad. Today Alliance Bank employs over 3,000 people and has 77 branches in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak.