Premier Private Client and Premier Banking customers of OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad (OCBC Bank) were recently treated to a set of talks that examined what it takes to navigate the shift to sustainability given the myriad moving parts involved.

The Bank, which is actively promoting its sustainability-themed products and services, used the session to share the latest in the sustainability scene through the insights of the session panellists.

The “OCBC Insight Series – A Shift to Sustainability” event featured Belqaizi Taufik, Head, Investment Specialist & Project Management Office, Maybank Asset Management Sdn Bhd; Amy Wong, Executive Director Research & Consultancy, Knight Frank Malaysia; Selena Ling, Chief Economist & Head of Treasury Research & Strategy, OCBC Ltd; and Michael Lai, Executive Director of Wealth Advisory, OCBC Bank

Setting the stage for the Bank’s approach to sustainability, Michael Lai said it “aspires to be #thebestwealthmanagementbank.”

“We are steadfast in the journey of strengthening our wealth advisory with ESG considerations to drive long term value in our clients’ portfolios. Events such as this help to avail to our valued clients the latest thoughts and trends in ESG to enrich their journey. The ESG theme is also in line with Malaysia’s capital markets development initiative of Sustainable Responsible Investing (SRI),” he said.

According to Dato’ Ong Eng Bin, CEO, OCBC Bank, customers now have an even greater array of sustainability-linked products and services to look forward to as OCBC Bank steps up its game in this direction.

Amy Wong (Executive Director Research & Consultancy, Knight Frank Malaysia), Belqaizi Taufik (Head, Investment Specialist & Project Management Office, Maybank Asset Management Sdn Bhd), Michael Lai (Executive Director of Wealth Advisory, OCBC Bank), Selena Ling (Chief Economist & Head of Treasury Research & Strategy, OCBC Ltd); and Chui Ling (Entrepreneur and Moderator)

“OCBC Bank has been in the country for nine decades now, and we remain steadfast in our commitment towards creating sustainable value for our clients, employees, and the surrounding communities as one of the country’s leading foreign banks. With our long-held belief that businesses do well by doing good, in 2021, we formalised our local sustainability governance standards, further integrated Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) considerations across our business and operations, engaged clients and formed industry partnerships to promote climate change transition.

“We also expanded our talent development programmes, and actively drove community outreach. And we are, of course, wholly embracing the nation’s broader goals in advancing sustainability. We look forward contributing to creating meaningful and progressive economic, environmental and social impact across all spheres of influence in the years to come,” he said.

According to Ms Anne Leh, Managing Director & Head of Consumer Financial Services, OCBC Bank, the Bank is upping the ante in making ESGrelated offerings available, with over 50% of its existing unit trust and bond offerings being sustainability-linked.

“As part of our aim to grow our ESG-themed offerings, we also introduced a solar panel financing plan for residential homes where residential homeowners may apply for either our solar panel financing or Easy Payment Plan (EPP) on top of our home loan offerings. We will continue to create awareness about our ESG-related offerings by ensuring our employees are well trained and well equipped, so they are able to share with our clients insights into industry trends and best practices,” she said.