United Overseas Bank (Malaysia) Bhd (UOB Bank) is planning to improve services and strengthen support for small business customers.

Head of Business Banking Raymond Chui said the plan was in anticipation of a surge in demand for funding as small businesses seek to seize opportunities emerging from the economic rise in Southeast Asia.

"We are expanding our team of small business experts in Malaysia to help our customers take advantage of the business opportunities arising from the country's economic transformation initiatives and the rise of intra-regional trade," he said in a statement.

The bank had placed business relations managers in all its retail branches to make financial services more accessible to small businesses, he added.

A subsidiary of Singapore-based United Overseas Bank Ltd, UOB Bank offers an extensive range of commercial and personal financial services through its branches, subsidiaries and associate companies.