Macquarie Capital Advisers, the corporate advisory and equity underwriting business of Macquarie Group, announced yesterday that it has appointed Jamaludin Zakaria as head of Malaysia country coverage.
“Malaysia is an important market for Macquarie Group where we have had an on-the-ground presence for many years,” said Kalpana Desai, head of Macquarie Capital Advisers in Asia. “We already have a strong equities business and are excited about working with Malaysian companies as they look to undertake mergers and acquisitions, raise equity, and explore other opportunities for growth".
Zakaria joins from Credit Suisse where he led the investment banking coverage for Malaysia. Prior to joining Credit Suisse, Zakaria was head of HSBC’s investment banking operations in Malaysia.
“I am pleased to be joining a firm with such a strong commitment to the region. I look forward to working with the existing team and continuing to grow Macquarie’s business in Malaysia,” said Zakaria, who has more than 15 years of international and domestic banking experience. He has been involved in a number of landmark transactions in Malaysia, including the $3.3 billion IPO by Maxis last year and the $1.62 billion rights issue by Maybank, the largest ever rights issue out of Malaysia.
Zakaria’s appointment comes at a time when Malaysia’s benchmark Kuala Lumpur Composite Index is trading at levels not seen since early 2008 and the ringgit is approaching 13-year highs versus the US dollar. The economy is also experiencing strong growth with the Malaysian government forecasting a 7% expansion in 2010.
