Founded in 1993, the move is seen as part of a drive into the Southeast Asian investment and wealth markets.

Value Partners Group, which oversees more than $16.6 billion of assets, has widened its Asian footprint with a new office in Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur, having won regulatory clearance.

The Securities Commission Malaysia recently approved, in principle, the firm’s subsidiary having a capital markets licence for fund management.

Michael William Greenall, managing director of the company’s Southeast Asia business, will lead the Malaysia office and Value Partners’ expansion efforts in Southeast Asia.

Once Value Partners gets the licence, its office will serve as a hub in Southeast Asia for product development, investment and distribution, the firm said yesterday. On the product front, the office will house Value Partners’ Southeast Asia-focused businesses such as exchange traded funds and Shariah-compliant funds. 

Based in Hong Kong, Value Partners was co-founded in 1993 by its Malaysian-born Chairman and co-chief investment officer Dato’ Seri Cheah Cheng Hye.  Today, it also has offices in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Singapore and London.