CIMB is an abbreviation for Commerce International Merchant Bankers. The bank was formed from the merging of various banks that had existed throughout the decades: Bian Chiang Bank, established in 1924 in Kuching by Wee Kheng Chiang. Its primary activities were business financing and the issuance of bills of exchange. It was renamed Bank of Commerce Berhad (BCB) following its purchase by the UMNO-owned Fleet Group (then part-owner of TV3, NSTP, and Celcom) in 1979. The bank had RM367 million in total assets and total shareholders' funds of RM12.8 million in 1982. Ban Hin Lee Bank (BHLB), established 1935 in Penang by Yeap Chor Ee. Its original focus was serving local businessmen in their trading and merchant activities.