On behalf of the Board of Directors of Maybank, Maybank Investment Bank Berhad wishes to announce that Maybank Kim Eng Holdings Limited (“Maybank Kim Eng”), an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Maybank, has today acquired a call option over 15,435,000 ordinary and paid-up shares of par value Vietnam Dong (“VND”)10,000 each in Kim Eng Vietnam Securities Joint Stock Company (“KEVS”) (“Call Option”), representing approximately 51.45% of the charter capital of KEVS (“Option Shares”) from the local founding shareholders of KEVS for a cash consideration of VND308.7 billion (or approximately RM45.38 million based on the prevailing exchange rate of RM1:VND6,803 as at 10 May 2012).

Maybank Kim Eng currently owns approximately 48.55% of the charter capital of KEVS. The principal activities of KEVS are to provide securities brokerage services, proprietary trading activities, investment consultancy, investment portfolio management, underwriting activities and securities depository activities.

The Call Option and other relevant agreements provide Maybank Kim Eng among others, effective control of all the voting shares of KEVS, thus making KEVS an indirect subsidiary of Maybank. The purpose of the Call Option is to facilitate the acquisition of the Option Shares when the foreign ownership limitation in established Vietnamese securities companies has been lifted or removed.

With KEVS becoming an indirect subsidiary of Maybank, Maybank will be able to accelerate and realise its vision of becoming a regional financial services leader in South East Asia by combining Maybank’s commercial banking presence with Maybank Kim Eng’s growing stock broking and investment banking presence in Vietnam.

The acquisition of the Call Option is not expected to have any material effect on the shareholdings, earnings, net assets and gearing of Maybank for the financial year ending 31 December 2012.

None of the directors and/or the major shareholders of Maybank and/or persons connected with them have any interest, direct or indirect in the acquisition of the Call Option.

This announcement is dated 11 May 2012.