Latest news with #OCBCMalaysia
The Star
04-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
OCBC named Best Bank for SMEs in Malaysia by Alpha Southeast Asia and FinanceAsia
KUALA LUMPUR: OCBC Malaysia has been recognised as the Best SME Bank by Alpha Southeast Asia and as the Best Commercial Bank for SMEs by FinanceAsia for the second year running. In a statement, OCBC Malaysia managing director & head of emerging business Chan Kok Leong said the bank maintains a strong focus on digital innovation and optimal convenience for its SME customers. 'We are pleased to be recognised by two leading global publications for our efforts to help SMEs grow. These awards also reflect our customers' confidence in our innovative business banking solutions and our commitment to supporting them both in their domestic and international endeavours. With our customer-centricity approach, we look forward to providing even more cutting-edge solutions to help our SME customers flourish,' he said. The accolades recognise the bank for its innovative offerings and digital enhancements specifically designed for SMEs to help them run their businesses more efficiently. 'The awards will spur us to continue enabling our SME customers to realise their aspirations through digital offerings and access to financing,' Chan said. Among the initiatives that earned the bank its accolades were its support for over 100 China-based F&B enterprises in Malaysia last year, and its tailored banking solutions that combined cash management with FX services to help SMEs streamline operations and drive growth. The Bank's OCBC OneCollect platform saw a sharp rise in applications as businesses turned to secure, convenient cross-border payment solutions. A key feature allows customers to pay in SGD via Singapore banking apps, while merchants receive funds in MYR. OCBC Malaysia comprises OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad and OCBC Al-Amin Bank Berhad.
New Straits Times
04-07-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
OCBC Malaysia recognised as best bank for SMEs
KUALA LUMPUR: OCBC Malaysia has received top honours as the best SME bank by Alpha Southeast Asia and best commercial bank for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by Finance Asia. Marking the second consecutive year it has been recognised by the latter, the accolades recognise the bank for its innovative offerings and digital enhancements specifically designed for SMEs to help them run their businesses more efficiently. OCBC Malaysia managing director and head of emerging business Chan Kok Leong said the bank maintains a strong focus on digital innovation and optimal convenience for its SME customers. "With our customer-centricity approach, we look forward to providing even more cutting-edge solutions to help our SME customers flourish," he said. The bank pioneered a robust digital onboarding process, enabling its customers to experience a faster turnaround time and operate seamlessly in a digital environment. With a focus on delivering convenience to SMEs, it designed a straight-through processing system to achieve a high level of convenience that resulted in a remarkable 90 per cent increase in digital account openings. Among the noteworthy initiatives of the bank in gaining the awards were its support of over 100 China-based enterprises operating in Malaysia's Food and Beverage sector last year. OCBC Malaysia comprises OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Bhd and OCBC Al-Amin Bank Bhd.
The Star
02-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
OCBC Malaysia launches Serial Entrepreneur programme
From left: OCBC global commercial banking middle market and services head Anna Chang, OCBC AI-Amin Bank Bhd chief executive officer Syed Abdull Aziz Syed Kechik, OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Bhd chief executive officer Tan Chor Sen, OCBC global commercial banking head Linus Goh, wholesale banking head and managing director Jeffrey Teoh and emerging business head Chan Kok Leong at the launch of OCBC Malaysia's first-of-its-kind Serial Entrepreneur programme. KUALA LUMPUR: OCBC Malaysia has launched its first-of-its-kind Serial Entrepreneur programme, offering support for individuals running multiple businesses, following a year-long pilot phase. In a statement, OCBC Malaysia managing director and head of wholesale banking Jeffrey Teoh said the programme has immense potential, given the sizable base of serial entrepreneurs. Teoh said the bank's research revealed a gap in the market, where no Serial Entrepreneur programme combined with a structured engagement approach was available. He added that traditional banking models often treat each venture as a separate entity, leading to fragmented support and financial solutions that fail to consider the bigger picture. 'So, we decided to develop the Serial Entrepreneur programme to help entrepreneurs navigate the complexities of managing multiple businesses with ease, flexibility and speed.' 'About 1 in 3 entrepreneurs who were offered our principal loans during the pilot phase signed up for the programme. This involved about 300 companies taking up more than RM850mil worth of loans, which tells us that the market is certainly ready for what we are offering,' Teoh said. The OCBC Serial Entrepreneur programme builds on the success of a 2019 initiative by OCBC Group in Singapore and redefines how banks engage with business leaders. Leveraging data analytics and customer feedback, the bank gained key insights into the behaviour, funding needs, and growth paths of entrepreneurs managing multiple ventures. The bank supports serial entrepreneurs with dedicated group relationship managers who help plan their finances based on the full business portfolio, not just individual companies. This approach lets the bank see the entrepreneur's ventures as one strong unit and make better use of their existing business strengths. The programme is also centred on assisting the serial entrepreneur from the get-go, without imposing the usual condition for a new venture to operate for up to two years before being eligible for financing. Besides providing capital financing, the OCBC Serial Entrepreneur programme equips entrepreneurs with the tools and support they need for their next business venture and to help them grow confidently. OCBC Malaysia comprises OCBC Bank (M) Bhd and its Islamic banking subsidiary OCBC Al-Amin Bank Bhd. For more information on the OCBC Serial Entrepreneur programme, please visit
New Straits Times
22-06-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
OCBC pledges over RM11bil financing to support Johor-Singapore SEZ
KUALA LUMPUR: OCBC Group has pledged over RM11 billion in financing to businesses in Johor since the beginning of last year, as part of its support for the development of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ). The bank expects to extend at least RM3 billion more in financing by year-end to support investments across various sectors. This includes real estate, oil and gas, manufacturing and data centres. OCBC Group chief executive officer Helen Wong said it has a longstanding presence in Johor, with its roots in the state going back over a century. The first OCBC Malaysia branch in Johor was established in 1917, and the bank now operates eight branches in the state, out of a total of 38 nationwide. "Having already committed over RM11 billion in financing to businesses in Johor, we are looking to further catalyse local economic activities and cross-border investments in Johor and the JS-SEZ through at least another RM3 billion in financing by year-end. "We are honoured to have this opportunity to explore with the Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi how we can build on these solid foundations and leverage the full capabilities of the OCBC Group's extensive regional franchise to contribute to the success of the JS-SEZ," she said. Onn Hafiz said OCBC's RM11 billion financing commitment, along with plans to inject at least RM3 billion more by the end of the year, demonstrates strong confidence in Johor's economic trajectory and investment prospects. "We welcome this partnership and look forward to working closely with OCBC to unlock Johor's full potential as Asean's next economic powerhouse," he said.
