HSBC Bank Malaysia
| File:HSBC logo (2018).svg HSBC logo | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Banking, financial services |
| Founded | October 1, 1984 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| Headquarters | Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia |
Area served | Malaysia |
| Products | Personal banking, corporate banking, Islamic banking (via HSBC Amanah Malaysia Berhad) |
| Owner | HSBC Group |
| Parent | The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation |
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HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad, previously known as Hongkong Bank Malaysia Berhad, is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Established on 1 October 1984, it operates as a fully owned subsidiary of HSBC. The HSBC Group caters to approximately 39 million clients worldwide, spanning 66 countries and territories across Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa. Within Malaysia, HSBC runs more than 60 branches nationwide, with about one-third of these managed by its Islamic banking arm, HSBC Amanah Malaysia Berhad.
As the leading foreign-owned bank in Malaysia by total assets, HSBC Bank Malaysia delivers a wide range of personal and corporate banking services through its branch network and digital platforms. Since August 2006, Islamic financial products have been offered under HSBC Amanah Malaysia Berhad.
History
The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited commenced operations in Penang in 1884, following its establishments in Shanghai and Hong Kong. At that time, Penang was part of the Strait Settlements, and the bank was authorised to issue currency notes. Expansion within Malaysia continued with new branches opening in Malacca (1909), Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, and Kota Bharu by 1912. The bank further extended its presence during the 1920s and 1930s with additional branches in Sungai Petani (1922), Kuantan (1929), Muar (1930), and Kuala Terengganu (1936).
In East Malaysia, HSBC inaugurated its first branch in Kota Kinabalu in 1947, followed by establishments in Sandakan and Tawau in 1948, and Labuan in 1957. In Sarawak, branches were launched in Kuching (1958 and 1964) and Sibu (1959).
By 1959, HSBC expanded through acquisitions such as The Mercantile Bank—which had begun Malaysian operations in 1860—making HSBC indirectly the country’s oldest banking institution. This growth resulted in a network comprising 40 branches across Malaysia.
Today, HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad operates a network of 40 branches throughout the country.
Local incorporation
Hongkong Bank Malaysia Berhad was officially incorporated on 1 October 1984. On 1 January 1994, HSBC's Malaysian branch activities were localised by transferring operations to Hongkong Bank Malaysia. Although ownership was assigned to an intermediate holding company within the HSBC Group structure, the bank maintained its offshore banking unit located in Labuan. As part of a global rebranding initiative by HSBC Group, the institution adopted the legal name HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad on 23 February 1999. Later, following a group restructuring effective from 1 January 2009, it became a direct subsidiary of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation.