MilesAndMore and Gen-X, an update on my case since I took leave today with the hope that I could open either Citibank or HSBC account in Seremban since I'm back here.

I just got to know Citibank has no branch in Seremban. Then no choice went to HSBC and they didn't allow me to open a basic account with them. I can only open if I invest in their education or insurance plan. I wasn't too happy about that and I said I made a call to their CS yesterday and was told this is possible. Then the officer started asking me which company I work for and etc. I showed him my business card and the company I'm working for is a very renowned MNC. He took my business card and spoke to his superior, he came back with the same answer but I'm allowed to open HSBC Advance Current Account. I will need to maintain RM 20k balance or RM 10 will be deducted from account every month. To open it I need RM 500. If I refused to accept this offer, I will need to tie to education or insurance plan in order for me to open savings account with them.

I stood up and said thank you, I'm not interested.

hahaha, why you never check if Citi got branch in Seremban. As for HSBC, only MilesAndMore likes them (JK sifu Miles)i whereas I don't have any HSBC banking accounts since they don't offer any FD promos to existing customers. But I got a HSBC Australia Debit card with my Transaction Account (no interest acct) and it has less than AUD10 in it, hahaha.

And maybe you should go complain with BNM and say that HSBC has this stupid policy where one needs to have some investment plan with them to open a normal Savings Account. This is too much, it's like blackmail, yes, go make complain, I support you

I can confirm here and now that Citibank no need purchase any investment plan to sign up for a Savings Account. All you have to do is deposit very nominal sum (I think my daughter's account has less than RM15 in it) and you'll be issued the Citibank Debit Card on the spot. Now, now, all their Debit cards' 16 digit numbers are pre-embossed (more like printed) , so if you like can be extra nice to the person issuing the card (example, wah you hair very nice or nice watch you got there or if he's a guy, call him leng chai), he/she might just let you choose the number you like As you know I am a freaking nice person, so I got to choose Citi debit card numbers for my wife, son, daughter and myself, hahahaha.

Wednesday go to ICBC and Citi to open their Savings Account. Both have branches in KL and Puchong (check their website for branches location).

On by the way, don't forget, if you wish to give up your China assignment, please recommend me to your boss to replace you. And since you going to China, maybe you should recommend to Admin that I stand in for you here as staff until you get back

This post has been edited by Gen-X: Oct 14 2013, 05:13 PM

I checked and there was an address who knows it is a fake address. Well, fair to say the information wasn't from Citibank's site.

I called Citibank and they need employment confirmation letter and 3-month payslip. But they said they could accept business card as well if I don't have confirmation letter. However, still up to their management's discretion to allow me to open or not. I cannot imagine that opening a savings account in foreign bank can be so tedious....

I'm going to Citibank Jalan Ampang and ICBC KL near to KLCC... Maybe Thursday or Friday, Wednesday is very busy as I'm not working since last Friday.
If I still cannot solve this issue, looks like I will need to give up on this assignment...

at the bold part.

This post has been edited by fruitie: Oct 14 2013, 05:29 PM

Fake Citi adress, hahahaha

Oh yes, opening a Citi Account really time consuming, can take up to 1 hour or more. Foreign banks like Citi has to be careful because US government suka suka can fine banks for this and that.

But once you open a Citi banking account, next time easy to open another account as all your info in their system. But, I must warn you, never deposit your money with Citibank FD/Term Deposit. Click here to read my article Privilege Premier Priority where I mentioned a Citi customer called Citibank - Shittybank, because she could not withdraw her FD as no personal banker was around!!!

This post has been edited by Gen-X: Oct 14 2013, 05:41 PM

Foreign banks are very very careful about people laundering money. So they will ask lots of questions and lots of procedures to follow etc. Some even want to know what sorts of underwear you got on if you want to send a few thousands to your son or daughter. Exaggerating a bit but you got the picture.

Thanks for the heads-up.
Looks like I will need to take another off day to settle my banking issue.

If I manage to open one savings account with Citibank, I'm going to maintain it just for the sake of convenience in the future.

The name Bank of China may gives people the impression that it is the main and largest bank in China but actually, ICBC is the real largest bank in China not only terms of branch presence but also total deposit

By the way, good find on the ICBC Malaysia credit card. Did not know ICBC Malaysia has already ventured out to the credit card business here!

Did you by any chance ask them if you can deposit RMB in cash into your RMB account here in Malaysia ? Because if you can, then you can save even more as you can just buy RMB from money changer and deposit the money into your RMB account in ICBC Malaysia.


Sorry to hear about your bad experience with HSBC. Did not know they now resort to such tactic just to do more sales nowadays


Well you know me well I really fancy their global banking service


I think Citibank too, is more interested in opening a CitiGold account rather than just a normal savings account. I personally had a very bad experience at Citibank HQ. I tried to open a savings account like 4 or 5 years ago but when i got there, i realized i left my IC in the other bag in my hotel room. It was already around 3pm then and it was Friday. The officer told me all non-cash counters are open until 5pm. So i went back to my hotel room and i managed to get back to Citibank at 4.30pm. I took a number and waited but guess what ? It was 4.50pm (20 minutes later!! ) already and the queue number had not move once! They were ready to close. I approached a Citibank officer who just came out from a room. He was actually very apologetic and he tried to find an account opening officer for me but unfortunately, all had already left which totally shocked me as the banking hall was still open then! How can they all left already when the banking hours is not over ?


So i see they have not done away with such policy yet! I was told the same thing by their Citibank online support staff. However, a friend of mine went to open a CitiGold account a few years ago during the time they had this 5% Time Deposit promotion and he did not have to supply his employment letter and 3-month payslip. The only thing he showed them is a RM500,000 cheque and that was it I think only half of the money was entitled for the 5% promo rate... but the thing is, he started a CitiGold banking relationship with Citibank with 500k and Citibank was very happy to proceed to open an account for him right away


Yeah, i can't imagine not one personal banker is around during banking hours in a global bank like Citibank!


Good luck mate! Last time i was told that as account opening is pending approval, therefore no debit card will be issued. Instead, if your application is approved, they will then mail the debit card to your correspondence address.

This post has been edited by MilesAndMore: Oct 14 2013, 10:51 PM

Thanks MilesAndMore I haven't gone to ICBC yet, good point for me to check out. I don't intend to take their credit card by the way.

For me, being able to GIRO from Maybank already a plus point for me. Other things are not that important.

Oh God, looks like I'll face another round of obstacle in Citibank. I don't think I will be eligible for CitiGold, I just want a normal basic savings account. So difficult meh?

This post has been edited by fruitie: Oct 14 2013, 11:02 PM

Last Time I Remember When I want to Open My Citibank Basic Saving Account at 2007-08 (the Year when World Economic Meltdown Crisis),
When the Citibank almost Bankrupt at that time, They Have to Interview me on Background Checking for almost 1 hrs just for that...

This post has been edited by fly126: Oct 14 2013, 11:18 PM

Thanks. Now they are doing well, so I think my chances to get probably near to 0.
I hope ICBC won't give me much headache there.

Have a try 1st with Citibank... U Never Try, U Never Know

I will apply for ICBC first and proceed with Citibank later.

I can sense that somebody here is going to get the ICBC credit card

When I signed up for CitiGold account for the 5% Savings Account promo 2+ years back, I was already unemployed and when the Personal Banker asked for the name of my current company it was a problem. But I used to have Citi credit cards which I had terminated and in their records it still showed I was employed by the very first company I had worked for more than 20 years ago!!! So the personal banker if not mistaken just key in own business. Then the personal banker asked me source of money,I was like huh? And you'll be surprised what he keyed in, too bad I am not disclosing it My wife also sign up for the CitiGold Account and for her Citibank accepted housewife when it came to the employment question. Not only that, Citi issued my wife the PremierMiles Visa Signature and has been offering to increase her CL recently when their records shows she is a housewife!!! After the 5% promo (3 months), I closed the CitiGold Accounts because I thought later if Citi has a savings promo again I can be eligible for it after 6 months. But since then their promos are tied to investment plans so never sign up for CitiGold account again. And when I sign up for the CitiGold, I once again sign up for their Plat credit card and have been holding it since then (Citi very good to me, I wanted to cancel the Plat after a year because I did not like the 16 digit number and they issued me a new card with a different number, hahaha).

Yeah, it is really shocking that one cannot withdraw his own money from the bank (because there is no personal banker around)!!! Even in Melbourne, Citibank most of the time only has 1 teller, and if she goes for her lunch break, you cannot withdraw or deposit a single sen!!! And every time she will ask me the source of the cheque I'm banking in Opening account in Melbourne also may need to wait like hell if their Personal Banker is busy attending to someone else. But once Citi accounts are up and running, Citi is great, I click on the mouse and my money is transferred instantly from my Citi Malaysia Savings Acct to my Citi Australia Acct ( and can go immediately use my Citi Oz Debit Card).

And sifu Miles. I know this will interest you even tho it is OT. Only couple months bank Commonwealth Bank introduced the very first Cash Deposit Machine in Melbourne located at their new "teller-less" branch at QV. I tell you, Australia banks are like 10 years behind us. And I think they will never have the Cheque Deposit Machine like we do here because hardly anyone uses personal cheque in Australia. My younger cousins who have been working there for years don't have a cheque book, where as I an unemployed old timer has cheque book from Citibank.

No need CitiGold to have Citi Savings Account. Both my son and daughter are students and they have their own Citi Savings Account. The thing is this, the person who is opening your Citibank account is a Personal Banker and his main income is from selling Citi products to their customers besides having a monthly quota of RMx deposit (I can't remember the exact amount). So yes, they prefer if the customer sign up for CitiGold status BUT it is still part of their service to open new account for other customers who are not into CitiGold.

But like Miles said, better go early and experience their wonderful global service

Come to thing of it, better you go to ICBC and get your account up and running and if got time only go to Citi because I feel the ICBC card would be adequate for your China assignment. Citi only as backup and may not even be necessary as zenquix mentioned, we still can withdraw cash with our local bank Visa or MasterCard Debit Card that has the Cirrus or Plus logo.

This post has been edited by Gen-X: Oct 15 2013, 12:46 AM

Yeah, I hope they will consider and let me open one for backup. My priority is ICBC. I hope it is smooth over there.
The problem is I will need to get bank to reset my password as I don't bother to keep those passwords.

Shall update here on my journey of opening savings accounts in foreign banks.

Made a typo, don't use credit card to withdraw cash. I edited my earlier post, should be read as our local bank DEBIT card with the Cirrus and Plus logo.

This post has been edited by Gen-X: Oct 15 2013, 12:14 AM

Oh yes, if debit card sounds much better.
Credit card a big no to me.

I have no debit card yet, even my Maybank card is the old ATM.
Maybe I will just need to change it for future proof.

Most of our local bank debit cards have Plus or Cirrus logo.

UOB Debit Card MasterCard has Cirrus logo and I have used it in US where the conversion rate is the same as spot rate but every withdrawal will cost me RM12. And UOB debit card got a daily limit of RM1K only!!!

My MBB Platinum Debit MasterCard has the Cirrus logo too. Can't remember what is my daily withdrawal limit. Actually I don't even remember the password, hahaha. I got it because I wanted the Maybank Online Savings Account that pays reasonable interest rate for amount above RM2K. Go check what fee is imposed for overseas withdrawal.

My RHB Debit MasterCard useless as only got BankCard logo, can't withdraw a sen with it when I was in USA. But my RHB Premier Visa Debit Card got Plus logo. So I guess RHB out.

My Alliance Bank MasterCard Debit Card has the Cirrus logo. Never used it overseas so got no idea if any fee.

My local Citibank Visa Debit Card has the Plus logo. Also check with Citibank how much it will cost you per withdrawal (even with Citi ATM in China). Citibank told me no charges if I withdraw from Citi ATM, well guess what, I was charged RM10 per withdrawal when I used it in Melbourne Citibank Chinatown ATM.

Conclusion - firstly go get a MBB MasterCard Debit Card that has Cirrus logo and another Debit Card that has Plus logo (e.g. Citibank).

Man, you are awesome! Truly guru in all types of cards.

I remember that and I have that account as well.

Ya, Citibank also told me free unlimited, thanks for the heads-up.

This post has been edited by fruitie: Oct 15 2013, 12:36 AM

you can use your ATM card overseas as long it has the Plus or Cirrus logo. No need debit card.

May have to activate for overseas use though. oh yeah and check the charges.

recommended way to get cash in long term overseas posting

oh, I forgot, you must go get the coolest Debit Card on Planet Earth where I believe it should have the Plus logo and this card will be accepted even if your company sent you on a intergalactic assignment