AFFIN is pleased to announce that its wholly owned subsidiary company, AFFIN Investment, has on 13 December 2013, entered into a Joint Distribution and Marketing Agreement with Daiwa Securities Group, a financial services holding company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (“Agreement”).

Pursuant to the Agreement, AFFIN Investment and Daiwa Securities Group shall cooperate in, inter alia:-

 (i)             facilitating the distribution of Malaysian research reports produced by AFFIN Investment to Daiwa Securities Group's global client base (“AFFIN Research Distribution”), and the distribution of Daiwa Securities Group's global research to Malaysian  institutional investors by AFFIN Investment (“Daiwa Research Distribution”), on a co-branded basis;

(ii)            providing Daiwa Securities Group’s clients with corporate access to Malaysian issuers and companies, and providing Malaysian issuers and companies with access to Daiwa Securities Group’s clients (“Daiwa Client Corporate Access”); and

(iii)           providing AFFIN Investment’s clients with corporate access to non-Malaysian issuers and companies, and providing non-Malaysian issuers and companies with access to AFFIN Investment’s clients (“AFFIN Client Corporate Access”).

The AFFIN Research Distribution and the Daiwa Client Corporate Access will be effective from the date of this Agreement whilst the Daiwa Research Distribution and the AFFIN Client Corporate Access will be effective 9 months from the date of this Agreement, subject to satisfaction of agreed conditions. The Agreement also provides for an equity trading collaboration between both parties. With this arrangement, Daiwa Securities Group will channel client’s trades on shares quoted on Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad through AFFIN Investment and AFFIN Investment will channel Malaysian client’s trades on shares quoted on foreign bourses through Daiwa Securities Group. The Agreement represents a strategic collaboration with Daiwa Securities Group which is mutually beneficial, leveraging on the strengths of both parties. From the perspective of AFFIN Investment, the proposed collaboration would enhance the range of AFFIN Investment’s products and services provided to its clients.

The Agreement does not require approval from the shareholders of AFFIN.

None of the Directors and/or major shareholders of AFFIN and persons connected with them have any interest, direct or indirect, in the Agreement.

Attached is the press release in relation to the signing of the Agreement.

This announcement is dated 16 December 2013.