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CIMB's chief executive Nazir Razak was quoted by the paper as saying there was a strong possibility of acquisitions in the region, particularly in Thailand where it already has a presence via CIMB Thai.
"Our goals see us moving beyond just being a universal bank operating within the region," Nazir said. "As such, we have been conscious of developing the potential of becoming a leading Asean franchise."
ASEAN is the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations.
The banking group is presently the fifth largest in Southeast Asia in terms of size. It has a market capitalisation of 61.3 billion ringgit.