I do not intend to own this shares and I have not really analysed Public Bank yet. What makes me wonder is that most of the value investors are interested in the bank. A lot of reasons behind, indeed.
Let's not look at those ratios or whatever figures that might make your excited, but try to look at the people and company culture. Yes, people are the ones who make things work not the machines. They recruit a lot of graduates---as long as you are a degree holder, it doesn't matter with whatever course and grades.
This is quite controversial because most of the banks or financial institutions recruit talents based on the grades and related field they study. I have a friend who worked for HSBC bank before, he wants to be banker again after graduate. He never agrees with the recruitment way of Public Bank which he thinks that recruiting based on the grades and study field should be best way to get the talents. He worries that if a bank recruits talents without looking at those two conditions, the bank would face a lot of problems.
Does it mean Bank should only recruit banking or business related degree holders? It is unnecessary. It actually means that Tan Sri Teh already realizes that anybody could be the key people?
I do not know the actual situation but I guess the employee turnover rate of the bank is lower than others.Why?My observation is that it may due to the company culture. People at the bank may really united and willing to contribute to the bank.
Tan Sri Teh realizes that united of employees are the key to drive the company up and it is another way to reduce indirect cost because lack of political issues among the people. Like what AirAsia is doing now---employees should be the company's priority, if you make them happy, then they would also make customers happy. When all this happen, ability of generating profit should not be worried.
I still remember what Lim Wee Chai (Founder of Top Glove) said before : Profit is important but you have to make your people united and happy then only your company can survive. Thus, you are able to compete with other by one absolute advantage---you have the people who have unlimited potential to be explored.
In Malaysia Banking history, Public Bank is the only bank which generate profit by internal growth and make profit continuously for 36 years. It is a world record and no other banks in Malaysia could make it.
Also, the bank never merges with other or be merged, which means it is extremely strong that even competitors do not dare to "eat" it up?
Sometimes, analysing company not only talking about the figures, but also some management style.
