OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad (OCBC Bank) has unveiled a 2.5-foot by 1.5-foot pure copper plaque at the ground floor of Menara OCBC, outlining the 66-year history of the location, along Jalan Tun Perak near the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers where the story of Kuala Lumpur began.

The 275-word plaque was unveiled on Tuesday, 3 June 2025 by the Bank’s CEO Mr Tan Chor Sen and COO Ms Chong Lee Ying – exactly 20 years after then Prime Minister of Malaysia the late Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (1939-2025) officially opened the 96.2 metre, 23-storey building.

According to Ms Chong, the plaque is part of the Bank’s nation-and community-building effort to help create an appreciation among both locals and foreigners of the history of the place where Menara OCBC stands today.

“There is a compelling history behind the land occupied by Menara OCBC today, and we believe the public will be enriched by the story being told. The design, 275-word text, and placement of the plaque combine to underline the heritage of our beloved Menara OCBC, serving to instil a sense of pride in it, and promoting the building as a spot for tourists and locals alike to appreciate a past that grew richly into the present. The story recounted in the plaque dates to 66 years ago when OCBC purchased the original four-storey building from the owners of the Whiteaway Laidlaw & Co Department Store. It went on to become our Bank’s Malaysia Central Office and Main Branch in 1961 to coordinate the activities of its growing local network. In the intervening period from 1984 to 2005, OCBC Malaysia staff operated out of nearby premises. Then, in 2005, we moved into Menara OCBC, which we are currently rejuvenating in stages through a three-year initiative,” she said.

Today, Menara OCBC stands as a symbol of pride to everyone who has come to cherish what it means to be part of the OCBC family, she added.

The building’s connection to the past is preserved today through the unaltered design of the lower facade facing Jalan Tun Perak, formerly known as Jalan Mountbatten (1961-1981), Mountbatten Road (1946-1961) and Java Street (1889-1946).

A 1:75 scale model that was unveiled by the Prime Minister in conjunction with the official opening in 2005 is displayed near the ATMs inside Menara OCBC. And in conjunction with the unveiling of the plaque, the Bank is running footage of the official opening ceremony on the large display screen on the ground floor of Menara OCBC.