ALLIANCE BANK VALUE ADDS WEALTH MANAGEMENT PROPOSITION VIA PARTNERSHIP WITH NORMANDY

Kuala Lumpur, 13 April 2006 - Alliance Bank has teamed up with Perkasa Normandy Advisers, an independent investment adviser, to bring value-added wealth management advisory and investment services for customers to make their investment choice for enhanced returns on investment.

This alliance with Perkasa Normandy is the first in a series of customer-centric initiatives that Alliance Bank will roll out as part of its new wealth management strategy.

Alliance Bank Consumer Banking Group Head Liew Swee Lin said the new initiatives will underscore Alliance Bank's commitment to provide customers with only best-of-breed in wealth management - from investment advisory services to investment funds.

Liew said, "This appointment of Perkasa Normandy as independent investment advisor to Alliance Bank's Wealth Management Group will provide customers with internationally acclaimed best-of-class investment practices.

The Bank's unit trust customers will benefit from the independent research analysis and views on the market, unit trust industry developments and performance of the funds as well as the assessment and ranking of Alliance Bank's panel of Unit Trusts Management Companies (UTMCs)."

Perkasa Normandy Group Managing Director Daud Yunus said the company's internationally proven practice for investors that includes risk profiling and investment strategies followed by regular reviews and monitoring, will be a value-added wealth management service for Alliance Bank customers.

"Alliance Bank's unit trust customers will be taken through a risk profile questionnaire, and then their needs and objectives thoroughly understood before an investment strategy is applied and appropriate products will be recommended", Daud added.

Liew said, "Perkasa Normandy's proprietary methodological analysis in terms of risk-return performance will rank unit trust funds. In terms of the local unit trust and fund management industry, we see Perkasa Normandy's independence and methodological process in product selection as a benchmark. The company's product recommendation is based on the client's needs and risk appetites, not the flavour of the month being promoted by any particular unit trust company or investment house."

To ensure that the entire sales process flow is aligned to achieve the end result, the Bank together with Perkasa Normandy have developed an e-portal, the Alliance WealthGuide - to cascade vital information to the sales staff so as to better equip them with the required knowledge and skills to increase their competency level in marketing unit trust products. In time to come, the Bank plans to make the web-based Alliance WealthGuide available to its Unit Trust customers as a value-added service so that they can access the eportal and manage their own investment portfolio at their convenience without having to go to the branch.

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.

About Perkasa Normandy

As an introduction, Perkasa Normandy Group is an independent licensed investment adviser and fund manager specializing in the research and investments of unit trust portfolios. As an independent investment platform provider, Normandy offers the following services;

• investment management;
• research analysis; and
• back-office administration

Normandy has a dedicated research department conducting extensive research on the asset management industry in Malaysia. A pioneer in the local industry, Normandy commenced operations in the early 90s' and over the years, has continuously fine-tuned and improve upon its research methodology with the aim of finding the best investment managers and the products they manage.

Currently, our investment focus is on Malaysian unit trust funds and asset managers, and the above services (in one form or all) are currently being utilized by our direct clients, financial planning partner, and our UTMC and IUTA clients.