A battle between two titans will dominate the Malaysian banking scene over the next years. The impregnable position of Maybank, Malaysia’s largest commercial bank, could be under threat as its rival, Commerce International Merchant Bankers (CIMB) Group, prepares to try to wrest the number one spot from it, having bought a commercial bank this year to complement its top-of-the-league-tables investment banking franchise.
Meanwhile, Maybank is stepping up its investment banking operations with the much-delayed appointment of Surachet Chaipatamanont in July as head of Aseambankers, its underperforming corporate and investment banking unit.
