SINGAPORE: Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp , Singapore's second-biggest lender, is in talks with a group linked to Thai billionaire Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi to sell its stake in property firm United Engineers Ltd, two people familiar with the talks said.

OCBC and its linked companies have a nearly 36 percent deemed interest in United Engineers, according to its 2013 annual report.

If the talks succeed, the Charoen-linked group will have to make a takeover bid for United Engineers, which has a market value of $1.2 billion. The sources declined to be identified because the deal is not public. OCBC declined to comment, while United Engineers did not provide an immediate response.

Charoen-linked companies could not be immediately reached for comment.

Bloomberg reported the news of talks between OCBC and Charoen earlier. United Engineers' shares were up 7.42 percent at S$2.46 before being halted on Thursday.