ECM LIBRA FINANCIAL GROUP BERHAD ("ECMFG" or "Company")

Application for a waiver from complying with paragraph 8.04(3) of the Main Market Listing Requirements of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad

Reference is made to the Company’s announcements on 25 November 2013 and 13 December 2013, and the most recent monthly status update on 2 May 2014.

In relation thereto, the board of directors of ECMFG is pleased to announce that the Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad (“Bursa Securities”) has, vide their letter dated 28 May 2014, granted the Company the waiver from having to comply with paragraph 8.04(3)(a) of the Main Market Listing Requirements (“Listing Requirements”) which requires a company with a Practice Note 17 (“PN17”) status to submit a regularisation plan (“Waiver”). The Waiver was granted after due consideration of, amongst others, the following:

(i) the latest audited financial position of ECMFG and its group of companies (“Group”);

(ii) the Group had recorded 4 consecutive quarters of net profit up to the quarter ended 31 January 2014 of which the results for quarters ended 31 March 2013, 31 July 2013 and 31 October 2013 have been subjected to a limited review by the external auditor;

(iii) the Company’s plans to grow the core business moving forward; and

(iv) the Company no longer triggers any prescribed criteria under paragraph 2.1 of Practice Note 17 of the Listing Requirements of Bursa Securities.

In conjunction with the Waiver, Bursa Securities has also informed that the Company will be uplifted from its PN17 status effective from 9.00 a.m. on 29 May 2014.

In respect of paragraph (iii) above, the Group will thus continue to be involved in the Group’s core business of financial services, where following the disposal of the investment banking business in December 2012, the Group’s operations continue in the areas of fund management, structured lending & advisory and investment in private equity and quoted securities, all being integral components of our financial services business.

As set out in our annual report for the financial year ended 31 January 2014 (FYE2014), the Group recorded a PAT of RM12.3 million and shareholders’ equity stood at RM380.196 million, and the Group’s cash and liquid asset position continues to remain healthy, with no long term liabilities. The Group has adequate operating resources and has conserved its cash and liquid assets to provide internal funding to grow its financial services business, summarised as below:

Fund management business:

For the fund management business segment (operated under Libra Invest Berhad (“LIB”)), the Group continues to focus on strengthening the platform to further increase the assets under management and profitability, as we expand our marketing programme and diversify distribution channels by establishing an agency force and tie-ups with IUTAs, on the back of good and stable fund performance. In 2014, LIB launched 2 funds, bringing the total funds managed by LIB to 22,  out which 17 are listed on the Lipper Fund Table and as at 16 May 2014 (which was published on 26 May 2014), 10 out of said 17 funds are in Quartile 1 (1-year return).  In this respect, we plan to grow our assets under management by expanding the current funds and, as and when appropriate, through the launch of new funds.

The fund management business is carried out on a 3–prong strategy encompassing: organisation-wide emphasis of core values; strategic initiatives; and action plans, with the purpose of cultivating client relationships in our niche market, and to effectively translate the relationships into investment mandates, with the objective of providing superior returns.

Structured lending business:

The Group’s structured lending & advisory business serves a unique clientele comprising corporate and high net worth individuals, where the Group provides an alternative channel for funding that is highly responsive to clients’ needs. The Group’s loan base (drawn down) has been steadily increasing from RM4.1 million as at FYE2013 to RM44.3 million as at FYE2014. Based on the total loan facilities granted to-date of approximately RM80 million (out of which the said RM44.3 million has been drawndown), we expect to achieve a higher loan base with the objective of providing meaningful recurrent earnings to the Group.

Investments in private equity and quoted securities:

In actively managing its investments in private equity and quoted securities, the Group took the opportunity to dispose some of our holdings in ISR Capital Limited (“ISR”), following which ISR ceased to be an associate company of the Group. The Group sees private equity as a growth area, and we continue to explore potential opportunities to expand the private equity portfolio.

This announcement is dated 28 May 2014.