Dispute Resolution Process  
 

The bank is committed to providing you with a high level of service. However there may be occasions when complaints and disputes arise. In this instance, the Code of Customer Service specifies a structured process for your complaint to be dealt with.

a. Principles
  The underlying principles for dealing with your complaints are:
  Sincerity - your complaint is important feedback and the bank will treat it seriously
  Transparency - the procedures for handling complaints are documented and apply to all customers
  Effectiveness - the procedures will provide for a speedy resolution
b. Raising A Complaint - with the bank
  If you have an issue to raise or are dissatisfied with a particular service with your bank, there are 3 steps you can take:
  Step One
  Contact the bank by:
 
  • approaching the Bank's branch staff; or
  • calling the Bank's Contact Centre at Tel : +603 8317 5000
  • e-mailing the bank using the "Contact Us" option found in the website; or
  • writing to the Bank
  Kindly provide the bank with details of your specific complaint/ dispute and any supporting documents to help expedite the investigation.
  On its part, your bank will ensure that:
 
  1. all staff who deal directly with customers are familiar with the complaint procedures and are able to help you by giving correct information about these procedures;
  2. your complaint is acknowledged within 2 business days of receipt of it;
  3. your complaint is investigated and you are informed of the investigation status within 14 business days of receipt of your complaint (For complaints requiring investigations conducted by a third party, this may take more than 14 days);
  Step Two
  If you are dissatisfied with the outcome, you may contact the bank at :-
  CFS, Service Transformation,
OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad,
Level 15, Menara OCBC,
18 Jalan Tun Perak,
50050 Kuala Lumpur
  Officers empowered to objectively handle your complaint will:
 
  1. give you a written response within 14 business days of the appeal (For complaints requiring investigations conducted by a third party, this may take more than 14 days);
  2. inform you of any further action you can take which will include going to a third party.
  Step Three
  If you are still dissatisfied with your bank’s response, after dealing with the CFS, Service Transformation, at the bank, you can approach the Ombudsman for Financial Services at the following address:
  Ombudsman for Financial Services
Level 14, Main Block
Menara Takaful Malaysia
No. 4, Jalan Sultan Sulaiman
50000 Kuala Lumpur.
  Where possible, the Bureau will give you an assessment of your case and mediate to resolve your dispute. If necessary, you will need to authorise your bank to disclose your account information to the parties who are involved in the investigation. The Bureau will respond to you within 14 business days. The Ombudsman for Financial Services will refer your case to the bank if it has not yet have a chance to look into your complaint.
 
 

Introduction of Ombudsman for Financial Services (OFS)

Ombudsman for Financial Services (OFS) was set up to provide dispute resolution services between a consumer and commercial banks, finance companies or merchant banks. The OFS's services are provided free of charge to customers. Currently, OFS handles disputes involving monetary losses of up to RM25,000 in relation to the following areas:

  1. Misleading advertisements
  2. Unauthorised Automatic Teller Machine withdrawals
  3. Unauthorised use of credit cards
  4. Unfair practice of pursuing actions against a person who is a guarantor

If a banking institution cannot resolve a complaint to your satisfaction in any of these areas, you may contact the OFS to look into your case. You have six months to forward your complaint to the OFS from the date of the "deadlock letter".

 
 

How to Refer your Case to the OFS

You can write a simple letter to the OFS stating briefly the nature of your dispute together with a copy of the "deadlock letter" from your banking institution. You will need to fill in a standard form prepared by the OFS to give your permission to your banking institution, to disclose to the OFS, any information on your account as required by Section 126 of the Financial Services Act 2013. You do not have to use a lawyer to put your case to the OFS.

 
 

How OFS Works

The OFS, with your written permission, may obtain further information from your banking institution regarding your complaint and study the case, to see how best it can be resolved. The OFS will investigate your case based on the facts presented objectively. The OFS may conduct an interview with you or together with the banking institution, through a mediation process to resolve the dispute. OFS will then make a decision based on its own assessment, taking into account the law and banking practices. The decision of the OFS is binding on the banking institution but not on you.

You can choose either to accept or reject the decision of OFS. If you do not accept, the decision is deemed cancelled and you are free to take any other steps with respect to the dispute, including legal proceedings. However, if you do accept the OFS's decision, you may lose your right to proceed with legal action against the banking institution.