UOB Malaysia new centre to meet growing affluence

0

Wong (centre) with UOB Malaysia area manager of East Malaysia Chua Chai Hua (left) and UOB Malaysia Kuching branch manager Emily Rolanda Yong during the ribbon cutting ceremony yesterday.

KUCHING: United Overseas Bank (Malaysia) Bhd’s (UOB Malaysia) dedicated Wealth and Privilege Banking Centre at the new Kuching branch located at iCom Square is set to meet the needs of Sarawak’s growing affluence.

The provision of dedicated wealth services in Kuching is in line with an increase in the bank’s wealth management portfolio in East Malaysia, which has grown by 15 per cent in the past year.

“To meet the needs of Sarawak’s growing affluence, and to offer our customers greater access to the bank’s comprehensive suite of advisory services and wealth management solution, we have made the first floor a dedicated Wealth and Privilege Banking Centre,” chief executive officer Wong Kim Choong said in his speech during the opening.

The iCom Square Branch was relocated from Main Bazaar, which had been serving business and individual customers for 16 years.

According to Wong, the bank’s new branch in iCom Square is strategically located between the old business district in downtown Kuching and the city’s burgeoning new commercial district in the East.

“An increasing number of our customers work in and around the iCom Square commercial centre. With the relocation of our branch and configuration of the premises, our customers will have added convenience and greater accessibility to our branch and to our range of services,” Wong said.

In configuring the branch, Wong said that the bank drew on its insights into and understanding of the needs and goals of its customers amid their changing lifestyles.

“We know that our customers increasingly use their mobile phones or go online to access information, to conduct simple banking transactions and to manage their accounts.

“They are now less likely to visit the branch for basic transactions. Instead, they are more likely to visit the branch for customised services such as financial advisory,” he added.

In line with the bank’s focus to harness digital innovation and in keeping with its customers’ preference to access information through their mobile devices, the branch is equipped with a Quick Response (QR) Code Wall.

This will enable customers to access information about the bank’s products and services quickly and conveniently through their mobile device.

“This is the first of our branches across Malaysia to feature a QR Code Wall,” Wong said.

“Over time, we will introduce more digital innovations to enhance the customer experience acorss our branches and across our products and services.”

In addition to serving the personal wealth needs of its individual customers, the UOB Kuching branch at iCom Square will operate as a one-stop banking centre for its corporate, commercial and business banking customers.

The branch will also offer additional services such as exclusive parking bays, access to WiFi and enclosed teller booths to give customers more privacy and security as they carry out their banking transactions.

UOB Malaysia is a subsidiary of Singapore-based United Oveseas Bank Ltd and has had a presence in Malaysia since 1951. In Malaysia, UOB Malaysia received the AAA/Stable/P1 financial institution rating from RAM Ratings.