Stepping into OCBC Malaysia’s flagship Premier Private Client (PPC) Centre in the affluent neighbourhood of Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, feels less like entering a bank and more like arriving at a beautifully designed enclave for private wealth.
The first of its kind in Malaysia and only the second in Asia after Singapore, the standalone building immediately draws the eye of passers-by, yet deliberately avoids the transactional sterility often associated with traditional bank branches. Instead, the centre is reminiscent of a five-star resort, where wealth and well-being are approached with the same care that goes into curating fine art or vintage wine.
Occupying 18,000 sq ft, the OCBC’s PPC Centre recalls the architectural work of Kengo Kuma or Tadao Ando. Inside, natural light pours into interiors shaped by Japandi sensibilities, softened with terracotta infills, rattan fixtures, and greenery that echo Southeast Asia’s tropical beauty. Artworks, including an intricate Malaysian woodcarving by Pangrok Sulap, ground the space in local heritage even as clients explore global horizons.
Adorning the space are discreet meeting suites, ensuring full privacy for conversations with seasoned Client Advisors, while an in-house dining service, led by a team of former airline crew, elevates discussions with rotating seasonal menus. The result is a transformation of wealth management into an immersive experience that feels deeply considered and refined.
A Strategic Anchor for International Wealth
OCBC’s PPC Centre offers far more than a space. Historically, Malaysia’s high-net-worth individuals sought investment opportunities offshore to diversify portfolios and access international services and financial strategies. Singapore and Hong Kong were regarded as the gateways to structured products, ESG-linked investments, and more sophisticated family wealth services. That equation has now changed.
Industry estimates suggest that Malaysia is projected for a substantial 34.6 per cent growth in the population of ultra-high-net-worth individuals. With the launch of Bangsar’s PPC Centre, the onshore wealth management landscape has caught up with regional hubs, bringing international-grade advisory to clients without needing them to leave the country.
“Our client is no longer benchmarking against Malaysia,” says Sammeer Sharma, head of consumer financial services. “They benchmark with international hubs such as Singapore and Hong Kong. That is what we bring to the table. Same platforms, same experiences, same advisory, same asset allocation framework.”
Indeed, the centre also reflects OCBC’s One Group strategy, which draws on the combined strengths of OCBC Bank, Bank of Singapore, Great Eastern Holdings, Lion Global Investors, and Pac Lease Berhad. Together, these entities offer clients with RM3 million in assets under management and more a single point of access to an extensive suite of solutions across 11 major currencies and 7 asset classes. The offerings encompass solutions for wealth accumulation, preservation, and distribution. “The OCBC One Group strategy is about weaving in and bringing the synergies, or unlocking the experience and expertise of the whole franchise, so that we can offer the best possible solutions to our clients,” Sammeer explains.
Scale, Stability, and Succession
The strength of OCBC’s offering rests on both scale and stability. The group held total assets of S$581 billion at the end of 2023, with a network that touches 90 per cent of ASEAN’s trade and capital flows. Bank of Singapore contributes open-architecture private banking that sources best-in-class products worldwide. Great Eastern adds actuarial strength as the region’s most established life insurer, while Lion Global Investors, one of Southeast Asia’s largest asset managers, provides institutional depth in portfolio construction.
This breadth of capability translates into a comprehensive range of services. Clients gain access to structured notes, ESG-focused portfolios, discretionary mandates, and trust and estate planning solutions, all through the same integrated platform. More than 80 per cent of the recommended product shelf is now sustainability-linked—a reflection of both OCBC’s commitment and the preferences of younger clients, who now view wealth stewardship through the lens of environmental and social responsibility. Transactions are executed digitally on the same systems used in Singapore, thus closing the gap between onshore and offshore execution.
Beyond technical depth lies an even larger shift. By 2030, an estimated US$2.5 trillion will pass to the next generation of Southeast Asian families. This transition creates demand for succession planning, investment literacy, and personalised family governance structures.
OCBC anticipated this trend with GENesis, a by-invitation only programme following the success of the next-generation programme by OCBC’s private banking arm, which has been running since 2012. OCBC GENesis is specially curated to give young participants from across the region the skills needed to flourish in the business world, while fostering an appreciation for values and legacy.
“The responsibility is not only to manage assets but to steward legacies,” Sammeer says. “Clients today ask how they can grow their business, prepare their children, and diversify across jurisdictions. Our One Group strategy is designed to answer those questions holistically.”
Award-Winning Wealth Leadership
This year, OCBC Malaysia was named the country’s Private Wealth Bank of the Year, and also received Branch Innovation of the Year at the Asian Banking and Finance Awards. These accolades acknowledge the group’s foresight in banking and financial services, where clients increasingly seek friction-free services, sustainability, and international banking standards.
“The award is a recognition of all the effort that we put in practice,” Sammeer notes. “There is no better way to be recognised than by industry acknowledgement. It motivates us to continue innovating and doing more for our clients.”
Indeed, to sit in one of its private suites overlooking Bangsar’s affluent streets is to sense banking evolving beyond the transactional. Wealth management becomes curatorial and deeply strategic. Global solutions are delivered with local sensibilities, and portfolios are built alongside legacies. In a market where clients are increasingly discerning and evolving, the balance of technical depth and human experience, forefronted by OCBC, may well define the next era of private banking.
