Alliance Bank AEIOU Challenge Season 7 Draws Record Participation
Winners from the Comic Challenge and e-Game Challenge walk away with a share of RM19,200 in cash prizes in the programme which engaged close to 40,000 students and drew 79,825 submissions.
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Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad (“Alliance Bank” or the “Bank”) today celebrated the conclusion of its seventh edition of the AEIOU Challenge, which saw unprecedented participation from close to 40,000 Malaysian schoolchildren aged 9 to 12 in a dynamic journey toward financial literacy through its physical and virtual workshops.
Conceptualized to inculcate essential financial skills among young Malaysians, this programme, recognized by the Ministry of Education (“MoE”) and Bank Negara Malaysia (“BNM”), attracted a record 79,825 submissions, exceeding its original target by 4,825 submissions.
In an intense grand finale, a total of 40 talented finalists from across Malaysia gathered to showcase their financial knowledge savviness in AEIOU Challenge’s “Spot the Scams: Be a Financial Superhero!” showdown and compete for a share of the RM19,200 cash prize pool. These students tackled real-world financial scenarios, demonstrating both creativity and a solid grasp of money management and scam awareness through the AEIOU Challenge.
The prize-giving ceremony was officiated by Yang Berhormat Tuan Wong Kah Woh, Deputy Ministry of Education Malaysia, and witnessed by close to 200 students and teachers.
Dana Dahlia binti Andy Zulkarnaen from SK St. Francis Convent, Sabah emerged as the standout champion of the Comic Challenge, winning a RM5,000 cash prize, a trophy, a Faber-Castell hamper, and a certificate for her engaging storyline that skilfully conveyed money management concepts. Meanwhile, in the AEIOU Financial e-Game Challenge (“e-Game Challenge”), Jitesh Varma a/l Nookeswararao from SK Taman Bukit Maluri, Kuala Lumpur triumphed with the grand prize of RM3,000 cash, a trophy, a Faber-Castell hamper, and a certificate. Both winners exemplified how the AEIOU Challenge transformed financial literacy into an accessible and enjoyable learning experience for Malaysia’s next generation of financially responsible citizens.
The first and second runners-up of the Comic Challenge received cash prizes of RM3,000 and RM1,000, respectively, along with trophies, Faber-Castell hampers, and certificates of achievement. In the e-Game Challenge category, the first and second runners-up received RM2,000 and RM1,000 in cash prizes, respectively, as well as Faber-Castell hampers and certificates of achievement (see Appendix A for the full list of winners).
“As a community-centric organization embodying our brand purpose of becoming The Bank For Life, we aim to nurture a generation of financially savvy individuals ready to tackle future challenges. By instilling good financial habits early, we equip schoolchildren to develop a strong sense of value towards money and prepare them to be more financially responsible as they enter the workforce. This foundation enables them to navigate the increasingly complex financial landscape we face today. We remain committed to supporting the government’s efforts to heighten financial literacy and enhance Malaysians’ financial well-being through meaningful and impactful initiatives,” said Mr Kellee Kam, Group Chief Executive Officer of Alliance Bank.
SJKC Kepong 1 from Kuala Lumpur received a RM3,000 cash contribution to its school development fund in recognition of its outstanding efforts in achieving the highest participation rate, with 1,230 submissions within the Comic Challenge category. This year, the AEIOU Challenge also expanded its Train-the-Trainers programme to 800 schools, a more than 32% increase from the previous edition. Conducted as virtual sessions, the programme equipped participating teachers with essential financial education tools, empowering them to instill good money habits in their students effectively.
The Bank further strengthened its commitment to financial literacy by expanding AEIOU Challenge’s outreach to more schools across Sabah, with the support of the Sabah State Treasury Department, focusing on schools within the rural areas.
Since its inception in 2015, the AEIOU Challenge has engaged over 180,000 primary school students over the span of seven editions. The programme continues to engage the communities, ensuring all children have access to vital financial education resources. Students can continue their financial education journey even after the conclusion of the AEIOU Challenge as the financial education videos and comic strips are readily accessible via the AEIOU Mobile app. This resource supports the Ministry of Education’s 2027 School Curriculum framework, promoting the importance of lifelong learning.
To date, the AEIOU Challenge has collectively received over 200,000 submissions via both the Comic Challenge and the e-Game Challenge, reflecting the growing enthusiasm and creativity of schoolchildren.
In addition to MoE, the programme received support from long-time partners Faber-Castell and PlayMobil Metapark, helping to empower children with essential financial literacy skills and encouraging them to express their creativity through the illustration of their financial comics.
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