CIMB-RHB banking merger leads the pack

The merged entity will have an asset size estimated at RM613.7bil, larger than that of the largest bank in Malaysia - Maybank.

The biggest corporate deal in Malaysia this year was the plan to merge CIMB Group Holdings Bhd with two smaller rivals - a deal which was also one of the market’s best-kept secrets.

While speculation of a merger between RHB Capital Bhd (RHB Cap) and Malaysia Building Society Bhd (MBSB) was not new, CIMB entering the fray caught the market by surprise.