OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad (OCBC Bank) has been adjudged Malaysia’s SME Bank of the Year by Asian Banking & Finance for attending to the needs of small and medium sized companies holistically, particularly in the digital space.

Speaking after the awards ceremony at Shangri-la Hotel in Singapore, Tim Charlton, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief of Asian Banking and Finance, said for 2017, OCBC Bank performed admirably both in Malaysia and across the region, bagging also the top award for Indonesia.

“OCBC Bank has proven itself again by promoting best practices, particularly through its digital innovations. In 2017, the Bank strengthened its e-commerce and payment options for customers which resulted in a four-fold increase in the number of merchant customers, clinching it a top two position against Bank Negara Malaysia’s KPI for merchant acquisitions.

“OCBC Bank was also the first in Malaysia to introduce an app that allows customers greater flexibility and convenience in the way they access banking products and services using their mobile phone.

“Underpinning these was its new dedicated team that oversaw the acquisition of over 700 accounts during the course of the year,” he said.

The winners were judged on their levels of innovation, effectiveness and dynamism to react to changes in the market and take on progressive opportunities.

The selection panel comprised judges from KPMG, Deloitte Consulting, Ernst and Young Advisory LLP and Accenture.

OCBC Bank’s Head of Emerging Business, Wong Chee Seng, said the award means a lot to the Bank in its sustained journey towards offering cutting-edge solutions to its customers.

“The award marks not only our strength and commitment to providing the most efficient banking solutions to SMEs but also underlines our quest to hone our internal capabilities and workforce to deliver optimal results using the digital platform as extensively as we can,” he said.

Wong expects the Bank’s portfolio of SME customers to continue to grow in time to come.

“We believe the time is ripe for SMEs to resume their growth trajectory, which has been somewhat hampered in the past few years due to the economic conditions, and we are set to play our part in this aspect of the country’s vision,” he said.

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