OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad (OCBC Bank) has moved from its previous Dataran Pahlawan premises to a more strategic 20,000-square foot location – about 50% larger than the previous place – at the new and growing commercial area of Taman Kota Laksamana Jaya.

The branch, the first of a foreign bank in the vicinity, commenced operations at the new premises today.

Beyond the larger space to better serve its growing base of customers, the new premises will feature the Bank’s first “Universal Bankers,” a term used to refer to staff who have been trained and upskilled to deal with a much larger range of customer interactions, reflecting their enhanced breadth of knowledge that covers a wider array of banking products and services. Their role will be complemented by Digital Banking Ambassadors who will guide customers in the use of the branch’s digital banking platforms.

Located at 2F Jalan KLJ 4, Taman Kota Laksamana Jaya, the new 5-storey branch opens seven days a week, from 9.30am – 5pm on weekdays and 10am – 4pm on weekends and remains the only Bank in Melaka to open throughout the week.

According to OCBC Bank CEO Dato’ Ong Eng Bin the new premises will be better equipped to manage the rapidly increasing volume of customers it has continues to gain.

“The branch is now located more strategically for our customers to enjoy banking without having to worry about heavy traffic and availability of parking.

“We have invested significantly in this new location to provide our rapidly growing Melaka customer base with greater convenience in more spacious surroundings. The customer base here has grown by about 40% compared to 10 years ago, and we continue to see an upward trend each year. So, we figured it was high time we recognised this growth in more tangible ways.”

He added that while the Bank continues to aggressively promote digital banking initiatives, it remains mindful of the pivotal and continuing place of branch banking in the equation and the irreplaceable personal touch.

“Human interaction is still key for meeting the needs of customers, especially for their more complex financing and investment matters. With a history that traces back over a century now to 1917, we have grown to become more attuned to the needs of the community and are excited to enter this significant new phase of our sustained journey in Melaka.”

Ms Anne Leh, Head of Consumer Financial Services, said the new premises will serve the interests of all business and consumer banking customers, including the mass affluent, Premier Banking and Premier Private Client segments.

“We have seen significant growth in terms of our Premier Banking base here in Melaka and this tells 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 from every conceivable perspective. Our 2,880 square-foot Premier Banking centre, which is almost twice the size of the previous one, is a sure sign of our commitment to take things to an entirely new level for our customers,” she said.

The Bank’s Premier Banking Centre includes a comfortable private customer discussion area, dedicated safe deposit boxes and full-time Premier Banking tellers. There will also be six dedicated car park slots right in front of the Bank with a dedicated guard assigned to its related tasks for the convenience of Premier Banking and Premier Private Client customers.

The OCBC Melaka branch also features business banking and SME banking services. 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-the-clock by security personnel, seven days a week. It has a lift for customers to access the upper floors.

“Apart from the Premier Banking Centre, the unique attraction of this branch which we think will resonate with the community is certainly the additional safe deposit boxes on offer. We had 630 boxes in the previous premises and have increased this to 948 now, with a capacity to go up to 1,362 in the future if there is demand,” Ms Leh said.

The relocated OCBC Melaka branch is staffed by 61 staff, headed by Senior Manager Ms Venice Goh Wee Lei who also serves as Head of Consumer Business and Mr Eric Tan Kok Tiong who is Head of Business Banking. Ms Shirly Thow Ai Li is the Head of the Operations Service Centre.