KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 27): Affin Holdings Bhd's subsidiary Affin Hwang Investment Bank Bhd (Affin Hwang IB) and Thai-based Thanachart Securities PCL have today entered a strategic business alliance for collaboration in the area of institutional equities trading and research.

Under the agreement, Affin Hwang IB will have the exclusive right to distribute Thanachart Securities PCL's research reports covering companies listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) to Malaysian institutional investors, on a co-branded basis.

Thanachart Securities is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Thanachart Bank.

In return, Affin Hwang IB will channel its institutional clients' trade orders for shares quoted on the SET via Thanachart Securities.

"The alliance represented a small step towards closer ties between Malaysia and Thailand in the area of capital market cross-border investment and integration," Maimoonah said.

According to Maimoonah, total trading in the Thai market from Malaysians generated brokerages of about US$4 million in 2014, and she sees more potential to grow in future.

"We believe we need to be regional in nature, provide higher level of services to Malaysia's customers, and allow them to have more regional coverage," she said.

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