KUALA LUMPUR – RHB Islamic Bank Berhad (“RHB Islamic”) strengthened its commitment in sustainable practices by becoming the first bank in Malaysia and the Asia Pacific region to introduce an eco-friendly recycled plastic debit card, through its collaboration with WWF-Malaysia and Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (“UMT”).

This revolutionary RHB Visa WWF Debit Card-i forms part of RHB Islamic’s initiative under its flagship initiative “Ocean Harmony” that aims to raise public awareness in the conservation and environmental sustainability of the marine ecosystem. The first edition of the eco-friendly card features the Green Sea Turtle, one of the most endangered sea creatures in the world today.

“Most discarded plastics end up in the ocean at the detriment of marine life. Our new recycled plastic card is our way of contributing directly to the conservation of ocean life through global affiliated NGOs such as WWF-Malaysia, and local champions including UMT. Customers are also given the option to support ocean life conservation by contributing up to 100% of their profit rate or ‘Hibah’ and channeling a donation of RM3 to support ocean research and development studies conducted by UMT. Each new RHB Visa WWF Debit Cardholder-i will also enjoy 10% discount on WWF-Malaysia merchandise purchase on its online shop, pandashop.my,” said Dato’ Adissadikin Ali, Managing Director, RHB Islamic Bank Berhad.

“We are delighted to play an integral role in promoting environmental sustainability while at the same time maintaining the balance of the marine ecosystem by supporting UMT’s ocean research and development studies. This is a core component of our initiatives towards incorporating Value Based Intermediation into our business and operations which will benefit the communities in a meaningful and sustainable manner over the longer term. Through this collaboration with WWFMalaysia and UMT, RHB Islamic is strengthening its position as a digital social capital enabler, allowing our customers and the community to contribute to worthwhile causes through our digital platforms. The issuance of an eco-friendly debit card which carries a visual image of a Green Sea Turtle allows our customers to transition to more sustainable lifestyles, while their contributions give the much needed and renewed hope to life below water, which is an important and often an overlooked part of our environmental ecosystem,” added Dato’ Adissadikin.

This initiative by RHB Islamic contributes directly and indirectly to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) particularly SDG14 (Life Below Water) and SDG17 (Partnerships for the Goals). The initiative is also in line with RHB Group’s commitment towards Sustainable and Responsible Banking, one of the three key pillars of the Group’s Sustainability Framework.

The cards contain state-of-the-art contact and dual interface transaction technology for seamless payment convenience, offered by IDEMIA, a global leader in Augmented Identity. The RHB Visa WWF Debit Card-i will be made available to all existing and new RHB customers in July 2020.

According to Sophia Lim, WWF-Malaysia CEO, “WWF-Malaysia is in strong support of this collaboration with RHB’s “Ocean Harmony” initiative as we believe that marine turtles play important roles for maintaining healthy marine ecosystems and their survival affects human survival in the long run. We are also pleased to be a part of this initiative together with RHB, as we see it as a good opportunity to showcase how industries can work together with us to conserve the environment and our marine life.”

“Furthermore, the marine turtle population is either endangered or critically endangered in Malaysia, due to egg consumption and trade, as well as poaching. Therefore, WWF-Malaysia strongly advocates strengthening turtle legislation for better protection,” Lim added.

Professor Dato` Dr. Nor Aieni Binti Haji Mokhtar, Vice Chancellor of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, commented that “UMT is honored and grateful to be part of this initiative. We hope this smart partnership between RHB Islamic and WWF-Malaysia and their contribution towards the development of youth at UMT will set as a good example for others to follow. What is unique about this initiative is that it empowers students to become environmental champions. Through this initiative, tremendous opportunities will be created for our students to reach out to communities, enhancing ocean literacy among the public. Promoting ocean literacy is vital, as an ocean literate person will be able to understand the influence and function of the ocean and our life in relation to it, thus advocating towards greater awareness for the sustainable use of ocean resources and its conservation.”

For more information on RHB Visa WWF Debit Card-i and to book your card kindly visit www.rhbgroup.com