Beyond Commercial Considerations: Religious Adherence and Bank Selection Among Malaysian Muslim Consumers

Malaysia's dual banking system provides a unique setting for examining the factors influencing consumers' bank selection. While previous studies have highlighted determinants such as service quality, pricing and institutional reputation, the role of religious adherence remains underexplored. This study investigates the influence of religious adherence on bank selection among 404 Muslim banking consumers in Malaysia. Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, data were collected through a structured questionnaire and analysed using Pearson's correlation and simple linear regression. Religious adherence was measured through three dimensions: Belief, Religious Practice and Religious Attitude. The findings reveal a significant positive relationship between religious adherence and bank selection. Regression analysis further confirms that religious adherence significantly predicts bank selection, explaining 16.0% of the variance in consumers' banking decisions. These findings suggest that, although commercial considerations remain important, adherence to Islamic principles continues to influence consumers' banking choices. This study contributes to the Islamic banking and consumer behaviour literature by establishing religious adherence as a context-specific determinant of bank selection. The findings also offer practical insights for Islamic banking institutions in strengthening Sharīʿah governance, service quality, transparency and customer trust.

Consumer behaviour

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