BE EQUIPPED TO MAKE FAST DECISIONS, SAYS M'SIAN BANKER

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17 (Bernama) -- South-east Asian businesses should be
well equipped to make fast decisions and grab opportunities arising from the
current
financial crisis, said Nazir Razak, chief executive officer of CIMB Group,
Malaysia's second largest financial services provider.

For instance, he said many Malaysian and South-east Asian banks were shown
the Lehman Brothers' Asian business, which was very interesting on
paper.

"But what was not so attractive is that, you had to value the business and
make a decision within 24 hours on whether to make an investment.

"This is the kind of time frame deals are being done these days," he said
at the Regional Eisenhower Fellowships Conference here, Friday.

"We certainly have to gear up to take advantage of such fire sales and be
well equipped to make fast decisions," he added.

Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc was a global financial service firm prior to
its bankruptcy and sale this year.

According to Nazir, the current situation was also a once in a lifetime
opportunity for talent hunting in the industry, which countries in South-east
Asia very much lack.


-- BERNAMA