KUALA LUMPUR: Hong Leong Islamic Bank (HLB Islamic) has contributed a new sound system to Masjid Jamek Sultan Abdul Samad in Kuala Lumpur to improve audio clarity for congregants during prayers and sermons.

Funded through the bank's Zakat Wakalah fund, the project involved installing 10 high-performance speakers to replace the mosque's ageing audio system, which had experienced frequent technical disruptions and sound distortion.

The mosque receives about 3,000 congregants for Friday prayers, with some having to pray in surrounding outdoor areas due to limited space in the prayer hall.

HLB Islamic chief executive officer Dafinah Ahmed Hilmi said the initiative reflected the bank's commitment to supporting community needs beyond financial services.

"As a financial intermediary, we believe that our role extends beyond providing financial services and building wealth. It is also about understanding the needs of the communities we serve and using our resources and capabilities to contribute towards meaningful social progress," she said in a statement.

She added that the initiative was aligned with the bank's Value-Based Intermediation approach, which incorporates social, economic and environmental considerations into its banking activities.

Earlier this year, HLB Islamic also supported the mosque's Ihya Ramadan programme by providing cash tokens to 24 Tadarrus Al-Quran teachers.

The bank's employees also volunteered to prepare and distribute 700 packs of bubur lambuk to the surrounding community during Ramadan.