Overseas Banks in Malaysia

1. OCBC
Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Berhad (OCBC Bank) was born out of the Great Depression with the merger of three banks in 1932 - The Chinese Commercial Bank Limited (1912), the Ho Hong Bank Limited (1917) and the Oversea-Chinese Bank Limited (1919). OCBC Bank flourished to become one of the largest banks in Singapore and Malaysia. OCBC Bank was also the only foreign bank to have branches in China in the 1950s - its long history in China dates back to 1925 when it opened its first branch in Xiamen, the first Singapore bank to do so.
The Ho Hong Bank was a Malaysian bank established in (1917 - 1932) to provide banking services that prior to 1912 were solely delivered by European Banks. The Ho Hong Bank was founded by Lim Peng Siang, Dr. Lim Boon Keng and Seow Poh Leng all of whom were, before that time, officers of The Chinese Commercial Bank.


2. UOB
United Overseas Bank (UOB) was founded on 6 August 1935 by Sarawak-born Datuk Wee Kheng Chiang together with 6 other Chinese businessmen, under the name of United Chinese Bank (UCB). Through a series of acquisitions, UOB is now a leading bank in Asia.
In 1965, UCB changed name to United Overseas Bank and opened its first overseas branch in Hong Kong. In 1971, UOB acquired a majority interest in Chung Khiaw Bank Limited and its branch network in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, and introduced its red five-barred logo still in use today. In 1973, it acquired 100% shareholding in Lee Wah Bank Limited and its branch network in Singapore and Malaysia. UOB subsequently acquired Far Eastern Bank Limited in 1984, and Industrial & Commercial Bank Limited in 1987. Chung Khiaw Bank became a wholly-owned banking subsidiary of UOB in 1988. UOB acquired Westmont Bank in Philippines and Radanasin Bank in Thailand in 1999. In 2001, UOB acquired 100% shareholding in Overseas Union Bank Limited, and ICB in 2002. In 2005, UOB acquired a controlling stake of 53% in PT Bank Buana in Indonesia and renamed the bank to PT Bank UOB Buana (UOB Buana) in 2007.
Lee Wah Bank was incorporated in Singapore in 1920 and opened its first Malaysian branch in 1956.

3. Standard Chartered
The Standard Chartered Group was formed in 1969 through a merger of two banks. The Standard Bank of British South Africa founded in 1863, and the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China (The Chartered Bank). The Chartered Bank was founded in 1851/1853 following the grant of a Royal Charter from Queen Victoria. It opened its first branches in 1858 in Calcutta and Bombay and soon after in Shanghai. The Standard Chartered Bank first began operations in Malaysia in Penang in 1875. The Bank has evolved from a bank supporting the trading community to a one-stop financial centre today, offering a full range of banking products and services in retail and wholesale banking. It has three core businesses namely Consumer Banking, Corporate and Institutional Banking and Treasury.

4. HSBC
The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) was established in Hong Kong in March 1865 to finance the growing trade between China and Europe, with an office opened in Shanghai during April of that year. HSBC's presence in Malaysia dates back to more than 125 years. The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited established its first branch in Malaysia in 1884, on the island of Penang, with privileges to issue currency notes. Thereafter, it opened branches in Ipoh in 1909 followed by branches in Malacca, Johore Bahru and Kuala Lumpur in 1910. The Kota Bharu branch was opened in 1912. By 1959, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited had embarked on a programme of acquisitions - including The Mercantile Bank and alliances and has network of 40 branches throughout Malaysia. Through the acquisition of The Mercantile Bank, which started operations in Malaysia in 1860, HSBC is indirectly the oldest bank in Malaysia.
The Mercantile Bank of India, London and China was established in October 1853 in Bombay (now Mumbai), but its headquarters moved to London in 1858.


5. RBS
The Royal Bank of Scotland was founded in 1727, with the first premises in the Old Town of Edinburgh, and has become one of the largest financial services groups in the world. During the 1900’s, it acquired several English banks including Williams Deacon's Bank, Glyn, Mills & Co and Drummonds Bank. In 1969, it merged with National Commercial Bank of Scotland to achieve a greater market share in Scotland. In 2000, it acquired National Westminster Bank (NatWest) in the biggest banking takeover ever in Britain and so inherited a rich heritage covering more than 200 banks that had made up NatWest. In 2007, in the biggest takeover in banking history, it led a unique consortium to acquire the Dutch bank ABN Amro.
ABN Amro was a prominent international bank, which traces its origins to Nederlandsche Handel-Maatschappij or Netherlands Trading Society (NTS) which was founded on the initiative of the Merchant Monarch, King Willem I, in the Hague on 29 March 1824. The object was to resuscitate national trade and industry in the wake of the period of French rule (1795-1813). NTS was an import/export company set up to expand existing trade relations and open up new channels. The growing concentration of banking in the Netherlands reached a climax in October 1964 when a merger between two of the Big Four Dutch bank, NTS and Twentsche Bank merged to become Algemene Bank Nederland (ABN Bank). A very important acquisition occurred in 1979 with ABN Bank’s take-over of Chicago-based LaSalle National Bank. This take-over laid the foundation for what would become the second home market of the bank. Founded in 1927 as National Builders Bank of Chicago, LaSalle Bank gave ABN its first firm foothold in the US Midwest. In 1990, Exchange Bancorp of Chicago was incorporated in LaSalle.
ABN Bank and Amro Bank decided in mid-1990 to combined forces, and the merger was completed rapidly after ABN AMRO Holding N.V. made a successful bid for the shares of both banks in August 1990. On 22 September 1991, the new ABN AMRO Bank was established, with its head office in Amsterdam.
Twentsche Bankvereeniging (TB) was established in Amsterdam on 24 June 1861 targeting the textile industry in the Twente region in the eastern part of the Netherlands and on financing textile exports to the Dutch East Indies. TB's first major post-war takeover was Van Ranzow's Bank in Arnhem in 1950, followed in 1952 by Van Mierlo en Zoon in Breda. The latter, however, continued to trade under its own name.
Amsterdam-Rotterdam Bank (Amro Bank) was created in 1964 between the merger of Amsterdamsche Bank (AB) and Rotterdamsche Bank (RB), after plans for a merger in 1939 were shelved due to the Second World War.
Rotterdamsche Bank (RB) was founded in Rotterdam on 16 May 1863 by a group of businessmen and bankers. On 19 April 1911, RB merged with Rotterdam's Deposito- en Administratie Bank (est. 1900) to form Rotterdamsche Bankvereeniging (Robaver).
Amsterdamsche Bank (AB) was established in Amsterdam on 5 December, 1871 by a group of mainly German banks led by Bank für Handel und Industrie of Darmstadt. Amsterdamsche Bank and Incasso-Bank signed an agreement in October 1947 under which the two banks merged. This considerably expanded AB’s branch network.


References:
http://www.rbs.com/about-rbs/g2/heritage/our-story/history-highlights.ashx