About Us

Nomura Islamic Asset Management

Nomura Islamic Asset Management obtained its Islamic fund management license in January 2009 from the Securities Commission Malaysia. The setup of an Islamic asset management arm is in line with Nomura Asset Management’s commitment and effort in inculcating the Responsible Investment Principles as Islamic Finance and Socially Responsible Investments (‘SRI’) notably, share much common grounds in its principles for investing.

NIAM’s setup was in line with our objective to expand the group’s Islamic footprint through branding NIAM as the global hub for Islamic asset management business for the group. Being the global hub for the group’s Islamic asset management business, we always ensure our control procedures are flexible enough to adhere to different Shariah standards preferred by clients of our Shariah compliant investment mandates.

As of 31 December 2022, the combined total assets under management of Nomura Asset Management in Malaysia stood at MYR 28.5 billion.

Key Financial Highlights

Financial Year Ended MYR
Date 31.03.2023 31.03.2022 31.03.2021
Paid-up share capital 7,000,000 7,000,000 7,000,000
Shareholders’ funds 32,291,389 28,248,085 23,372,562
Revenue 28,593,195 29,746,257 26,074,049
Profit/Loss before taxation 8,537,409 8,409,429 8,082,997
Profit/Loss after taxation 7,543,304 7,375,523 7,248,726

Meet Our Key People

Atsushi Ichii

Managing Director

Atsushi Ichii was appointed as the Managing Director of Nomura Islamic Asset Management Sdn Bhd on 4 December 2020. He has over 25 years of experience in the financial and capital markets industry, from both the sell-side and buy-side. He began his career at Nomura Securities in 1991 and since then, he has undertaken various business development roles in Nomura Group and other Japanese financial institutions. Throughout his career, he has worked in various countries such as Japan, Hong Kong, Switzerland, and countries in the Middle East, such as Bahrain and U.A.E


Hiew Teck Kong

Head of Malaysian Fixed Income & Global Sukuk

Hiew heads the Malaysia Fixed Income & Global Sukuk team, with more than 23 years’ experience in the industry. Hiew Teck Kong is one of the contributing member of the Emerging Bond Investment Meetings in Nomura Asset Management and actively participated in marketing roadshows showcasing Nomura Islamic Asset Management and Global Sukuk capabilities locally and in the Middle Eastern region, amongst others.


Nurmadihah Jusoh

Compliance Officer

Nurmadihah is the Compliance Officer at Nomura Islamic Asset Management Sdn Bhd. She joined NIAM in August 2022. She has more than 8 years of experience in the areas of compliance in financial and capital market industry.


Investment Committee

The Investment Committee members’ convene at least 4 times a year to review on investment offerings managed by Nomura Islamic Asset Management. During the meetings, the members’ would review investment decisions undertaken on behalf of the funds’ managed by Nomura Islamic Asset Management, evaluate on the investment performance of the funds’ against their respective investment objectives; as well as, deliberate on product development ideas.

Non-independent member

Leslie Yap

Leslie has over 24 years of industry experience in funds management and research coverage. Leslie has headed the Investments team at NAMM since December 2007. Leslie overseeing the global equities team in Malaysia and responsible for investment management of global developed market equities. Leslie is one on the contributing member of the Global Equity Strategy Committee and the Global Stock Selection Committee in Nomura Asset Management.

Independent member

Julia Binti Hashim

Ms Julia joined the firm as an independent director on 27 August 2020 and brings with her over 30 years of working experience in the financial industry, since 1989. Ms Julia was previously at Principal Asset Management Berhad as the Chief Operating Officer, Asean region, overlooking operational divisions such as Finance, HR, Strategy, Legal, Risk, IT, Operations and Product Development across Principal Asset Management’s Southeast Asian entities. Before joining Principal Asset Management, Ms Julia was with CIMB Investment Bank Berhad for 23 years where her last position held was Head of Equities Malaysia and Head of Institutional Sales, ASEAN. Prior to that, Ms Julia was a fund manager at Arab Malaysia Investment Bank Berhad for 5 years. Ms Julia holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Economics and Politics from University of London, School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS).

Independent member

Dato’ Mona Suraya binti Kamaruddin

Dato’ Mona joined the firm as an independent director on 1 November 2023 and brings with her 31 years of experience in the capital markets, specialising in Malaysian equities, which includes close to 9 years in Equity Research and 20 years in Equity Sales. Dato’ Mona is currently the Investment Panel Member at Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera and prior to that she was the Chief Executive Officer at Affin Hwang Investment Bank Berhad. Prior to joining Affin Hwang Investment Bank Berhad, Dato’ Mona was the Country Head and Managing Director at Nomura Securities Malaysia. Dato’ Mona and her team at Nomura were instrumental in establishing and growing the firm’s Malaysian equities franchise from the ground up over the past 11 years. Before joining Nomura, she was Vice President of Institutional Sales at JPMorgan Securities Malaysia. Dato’ Mona began her career in the capital markets in 1991 as an investment analyst in various financial institutions which include Arab Malaysian Securities, Standard Chartered Securities Malaysia and Crosby Securities Malaysia. She also served as Head of Research at MGI Securities Malaysia. Dato’ Mona holds a BSc (Econs) in Accounting from the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth.


Board of Directors

Director

Leslie Yap

Leslie Yap, CFA, is the Managing Director for Nomura Asset Management Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., and the Country Head for NAM’s business in Malaysia, since 1 November 2021. Prior to his appointment as Managing Director, he was the Head of Investments in Malaysia (a role he held since Apr 2015) where he oversees the global equities, Malaysian equities and Malaysian Fixed Income & Global Sukuk portfolio management teams in Kuala Lumpur.

Leslie has over 24 years of industry experience in funds management and research coverage. Together with the Global Equities team in Kuala Lumpur, he is responsible for the investment management of global developed market equities of over MYR 7 billion (Sept 2021), on behalf of Malaysia and overseas-based institutional investors.

Leslie is one of the contributing member of the Global Equity Strategy Committee and the Global Stock Selection Committee in Nomura Asset Management. He is also the Investment Committee member at Nomura Islamic Asset Management.

Leslie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Nottingham, U.K. He is also a CFA charter holder.

Managing Director

Atsushi Ichii

Atsushi Ichii was appointed as the Managing Director of Nomura Islamic Asset Management Sdn Bhd on 4 December 2020. He has over 25 years of experience in the financial and capital markets industry, from both the sell-side and buy-side. He began his career at Nomura Securities in 1991 and since then, he has undertaken various business development roles in Nomura Group and other Japanese financial institutions. Throughout his career, he has worked in various countries such as Japan, Hong Kong, Switzerland, and countries in the Middle East, such as Bahrain and U.A.E

Independent director

Julia Binti Hashim

Ms Julia joined the firm as an independent director on 27 August 2020 and brings with her over 30 years of working experience in the financial industry, since 1989. Ms Julia was previously at Principal Asset Management Berhad as the Chief Operating Officer, Asean region, overlooking operational divisions such as Finance, HR, Strategy, Legal, Risk, IT, Operations and Product Development across Principal Asset Management’s Southeast Asian entities. Before joining Principal Asset Management, Ms Julia was with CIMB Investment Bank Berhad for 23 years where her last position held was Head of Equities Malaysia and Head of Institutional Sales, ASEAN. Prior to that, Ms Julia was a fund manager at Arab Malaysia Investment Bank Berhad for 5 years. Ms Julia holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Economics and Politics from University of London, School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS).

Independent member

Dato’ Mona Suraya binti Kamaruddin

Dato’ Mona joined the firm as an independent director on 1 November 2023 and brings with her 31 years of experience in the capital markets, specialising in Malaysian equities, which includes close to 9 years in Equity Research and 20 years in Equity Sales. Dato’ Mona is currently the Investment Panel Member at Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera and prior to that she was the Chief Executive Officer at Affin Hwang Investment Bank Berhad. Prior to joining Affin Hwang Investment Bank Berhad, Dato’ Mona was the Country Head and Managing Director at Nomura Securities Malaysia. Dato’ Mona and her team at Nomura were instrumental in establishing and growing the firm’s Malaysian equities franchise from the ground up over the past 11 years. Before joining Nomura, she was Vice President of Institutional Sales at JPMorgan Securities Malaysia. Dato’ Mona began her career in the capital markets in 1991 as an investment analyst in various financial institutions which include Arab Malaysian Securities, Standard Chartered Securities Malaysia and Crosby Securities Malaysia. She also served as Head of Research at MGI Securities Malaysia. Dato’ Mona holds a BSc (Econs) in Accounting from the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth.

Chief Administrative Officer / Director

Chooi Su May

Chooi Su May is the Chief Administrative Officer of Nomura Asset Management Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. and oversees the Corporate Administration, Fund Administration and Trading departments. She joined the Company in 2008 and prior to assuming her current role, she was the Head of Compliance, Risk and Legal in the Company. She was appointed as director in June 2022.

Su May has over 20 years of working experience in the areas of compliance, legal, operational risks, audit and tax from various local and international companies across audit & tax advisory, insurance and capital markets industries.

Director

Tomoya Kawagishi

Tomoya Kawagishi has served as Head of the Global Business Strategy Department since April 2023, following a tenure of overseeing the company’s overseas business as both Senior Business Development Manager and General Manager. Since joining Nomura Asset Management in 2008, he has also served as a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Investment Department and Senior Manager of Product Planning and Development. Kawagishi has over two decades of experience in the finance industry. Prior to joining NAM, he was a portfolio manager at Resona Bank, and he also has experience in sales management at AXA Life Insurance.

He holds a B.A. in Business Administration from Meiji University and is a Chartered Member (CMA) of the Securities Analysts Association of Japan.