OCBC Group CEO Helen Wong shared this during a courtesy visit to Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi at his official residence in Saujana, Johor Bahru.
“We have a long history in Johor dating more than a hundred years. OCBC Malaysia’s first branch in Johor traces its history to 1917, and there are now eight branches in the state, out of 38 across Malaysia,” says Wong.
“We are looking to further catalyse local economic activities and cross-border investments in Johor and the JS-SEZ through at least another RM3 billion in financing by year-end. We are honoured to have this opportunity to explore with the Johor Menteri Besar how we can build on these solid foundations and leverage the full capabilities of the OCBC Group’s extensive regional franchise to contribute to the success of the JS-SEZ,” she adds.
The OCBC Group was also represented by Greg Hingston, CEO, Great Eastern Group; Jason Moo, CEO, Bank of Singapore; Tan Chor Sen, CEO, OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad; Syed Abdull Aziz Syed Kechik, CEO, OCBC Al-Amin Bank Berhad; Dato Koh Yaw Hui, CEO, Great Eastern Life Assurance (Malaysia) Berhad; and Jeffrey Teoh, managing director and head of wholesale banking, OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad.
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Welcoming the delegation, Onn Hafiz conveyed his appreciation to the OCBC Group for its support of the JS-SEZ.
“On behalf of the Johor state government, I express my deepest appreciation to the OCBC Group for its strong and unwavering commitment to the JS-SEZ. The group’s commitment of over RM11 billion in financing with at least RM3 billion more by year-end reflects a strong endorsement of Johor’s economic direction and investment potential. We welcome this partnership and look forward to working closely with OCBC to unlock Johor’s full potential as Asean’s next economic powerhouse,” he said.
OCBC is the second largest financial services group in Southeast Asia by assets. The group announced in December 2024 that it would set up a dedicated team of 25 bankers with 10 years of experience on average to support small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) keen to grow their business in the JS-SEZ.
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According to OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad’s Teoh, 15 bankers will be based in Singapore and 10 in Malaysia.
On June 16, OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Bhd announced it had extended RM351 million in financing to property developers See Hong Chen Group and EXSIM to support three real estate developments in the JS-SEZ.
The financing involves the acquisition of freehold land along Jalan Dato Abdullah Tahir, Johor Bahru, earmarked for mixed development, with a gross development value of approximately RM1.8 billion. The bank has also extended the financing to See Hong Chen Group to support the purchase of additional freehold land parcels in Bandar Johor Bahru.
