OCBC sets up first Islamic banking branch in Klang
KUCHING: OCBC Al-Amin Bank Bhd (OCBC Al-Amin) is bringing its services to the increasingly affluent communities in the vibrant southern Klang township of Bandar Botanic with the recent opening of its latest branch.
The branch, relocated from its original Ampang Park Kuala Lumpur location ( Xpres branch), is the bank’s first Islamic banking branch in Klang.
It builds on the strategy to augment the bank’s position in Selangor by offering a comprehensive range of Islamic banking products and services. Parent company OCBC Bank ( Malaysia) Bhd (OCBC Bank Malaysia) has had a presence in Klang since 1940 through its conventional banking operations.
Occupying almost 9,000 square feet, OCBC Al-Amin Bandar Botanic comes complete with a Premier Banking Centre and over 1,000 safe deposit boxes, a service that the Bank believes will be welcomed by its customers.
According to chief executive officer Syed Abdull Aziz Syed Kechik, the opening marks a significant milestone in OCBC’s journey toward providing the community with even greater sophistication in Islamic banking.
“OCBC Al-Amin has grown steadily since our inception in December 2008. With the opening of our first branch here at Bandar Botanic in vibrant Klang, we hope to raise the bar in Islamic banking products and services for the community at large and also the affluent segment through our Premier Banking Centre.
“OCBC is, of course, a familiar name in Klang, having already been here for 78 years. The entry of our Islamic banking operations today is testament to the vast po- tential for banking growth in Klang.
“As a bank with a long history not just in Klang but the country, and consistently one of the leading foreign banks, we are both committed to and excited about the prospect of growing in this fastdeveloping part of our nation.
“In addition, the overall OCBC Premier Banking numbers tell us that the relationship between us and the affluent community is growing stronger and stronger due to the emphasis we continue to place on service excellence fromevery conceivable perspective.
“Our Bandar Botanic branch, which includes an almost 2,000 square- foot Premier Banking centre, is a sign that we are committed to further strengthen this,” he said.
The bank’s Premier Banking Centre includes a comfortable private customer discussion area, ample parking, dedicated safe deposit boxes and full-time premier banking tellers. Previously, the only available premier banking centres for Islamic banking were those shared with conventional banking entities and the ones in Skudai (Johor), Kota Kemuning (Shah Alam) and Sibu (Sarawak).
The OCBC Al-Amin Bandar Botanic branch features, apart from the Premier Banking centre for the affluent, a business banking centre serving corporate and SME enterprises. Other services include 24-hour electronic banking services featuring ATMs and Cash/Cheque Deposit Machines. The branch is fully covered by CCTV and protected round-theclock by security personnel, seven days a week, and equipped with a stair-lift to enable customers to easily get to the first floor.
“Apart from the Premier Banking Centre, the unique attraction of this branch which we think will resonate with the community is certainly the provision of the safe deposit boxes on offer, which we believe will be snapped up quickly,” Syed Abdull Aziz said.
OCBC Al-Amin has a total of 13 branches nationwide. Overall, OCBC has a total of 46 branches including its 33 conventional ones.