From left: Bank of Singapore CEO Jason Moo, OCBC Bank (M) Bhd CEO Tan Chor Sen, CBC Group CEO Helen Wong, Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, Great Eastern Group CEO Greg Hingston, Great Eastern Life Assurance (M) Bhd CEO Datuk Koh Yaw Hui and OCBC Al-Amin Bank Bhd CEO Syed Abdull Aziz Syed Kechik.
JOHOR BARU: The OCBC Group has committed over RM11bil in financing to businesses in Johor since the start of last year, as part of its commitment to the development of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).
By the end of 2025, the group expects to provide at least another RM3bil in financing for investments into various sectors including real estate, oil and gas, manufacturing and data centres, said OCBC Group CEO Helen Wong during a recent courtesy visit with her senior executives to Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi at his official residence in Saujana.
Reiterating the group’s long-term support for JS-SEZ, Wong emphasised that OCBC’s One Group approach is underpinned by the collective strengths of OCBC Bank, its insurance subsidiary Great Eastern Holdings, its private banking arm Bank of Singapore, and its leasing and wealth management capabilities.
This uniquely positions the group to support business growth and cross-border collaboration.
Leveraging its deep-rooted history in Johor, diverse financial capabilities, and integrated regional network, OCBC is well-placed to contribute meaningfully to the JS-SEZ, fostering stronger economic ties between Singapore and Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Onn Hafiz said the OCBC Group’s commitment of over RM11bil in financing, with at least RM3bil 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 noted.
According to OCBC Bank (M) Bhd CEO Tan Chor Sen, even prior to the official signing of the JS-SEZ agreement in January this year, OCBC had already taken proactive steps in Malaysia to showcase the zone’s potential to global investors.
“OCBC has a strong track record of assisting foreign businesses in establishing operations in Malaysia and has facilitated the entry of new companies from various sectors, including services, construction, manufacturing, and wholesale and retail trade.
“Our collaborative efforts in the past with the mentri besar of Johor and key stakeholders such as the Iskandar Regional Development Authority, Malaysian Investment Development Authority and Invest Johor for the JS-SEZ Trade and Investment Mission have been fruitful,” Tan said.
Great Eastern Life Assurance (M) Bhd CEO Datuk Koh Yaw Hui added: “Along with OCBC Malaysia and the wider OCBC Group of which we are a part, we are excited about having a role in bringing to fruition the strategic initiatives aimed at transforming the border region between Malaysia’s Johor state and Singapore into a premier economic hub.”
