A generation built these companies. Almost nobody is helping them hand them over.
We started this firm because the market forgot the middle.
Why We Exist
Malaysia has thousands of good businesses that nobody writes about. Family-run manufacturers. Second-generation distributors. Founder-led service companies. They employ people, pay taxes, and have quietly compounded for twenty or thirty years.
Almost none of them have ever had proper corporate advisory support. The banks will not take them because the fees are too small. The advisory firms will sell them an audit and a valuation report, but will not run a process. That leaves brokers and part-time intermediaries, who will introduce a buyer and disappear.
So the owner ends up doing the most important financial transaction of their life alone, across the table from someone who does this professionally.
We think that is unfair, and we think it is fixable.
A business that took thirty years to build can quietly wind down in five.
There is also a clock running. The founders who built Malaysian industry in the 1980s and 1990s are reaching retirement. Their children have often built lives elsewhere, or in another industry. A business that took thirty years to build can quietly wind down in five — not because it failed, but because nobody planned the handover.
Selling is not the only answer. Sometimes the answer is a minority investor, a management buyout, growth capital, or simply getting the business ready and waiting three more years. But an owner cannot choose between options they do not know exist.
Our job is to put those options on the table, and then help the owner act on the one they choose.
How We Work
01
We tell you the number you do not want to hear.
Some advisers will agree with whatever valuation an owner has in mind, sign the mandate, and let the market deliver the bad news six months later. We would rather have the difficult conversation on day one. If your business is not worth what you think it is, we will tell you why, and what it would take to close the gap.
02
We only take on what we can personally run.
There is no team of juniors behind a senior name here. The person you meet is the person who builds your model, writes your memorandum, and sits in your negotiation. That limits how many mandates we accept in a year. We think that is the point.
03
Your business is yours until the day it is not.
Nothing about your company reaches the market without your written approval. No names, no financials, no hints to a contact who might be interested. We have walked away from introductions rather than reveal a client's identity early.
04
We would rather lose the mandate than lose your trust.
Our fee is mostly success-based, which means we get paid when a deal closes. That creates an obvious pressure to push every deal over the line. We manage that by telling clients when a deal is not worth doing, even when it costs us. A bad transaction is worse for you than no transaction, and we intend to be around long enough for that to matter.
05
We stay after the deal.
Signing is not the end. There are conditions to clear, obligations that survive the closing, and a business that needs to keep running through all of it. We stay until the last item is done.
Our Team
Loh Chee Keen
Founder & CEO
Bringing 8 years of institutional private equity and sell-side advisory experience, with expertise in deal origination, transaction execution, due diligence, and portfolio value creation.
Previously with Creador (US$3B AUM), involved in 8 transactions totalling over US$250M across Southeast Asia across sectors including consumer retail, healthcare, manufacturing, and business services.
Currently leading CKS Advisory and involved in Ascent Capital Management Sdn Bhd (licensed PEMC), guided by a business philosophy focused on long-term value creation, disciplined execution, and collaborative partnerships.
cheekeen@cksadvisory.com
Lim Kian Thong (Ian)
Senior Associate
M&A and corporate finance professional with experience in deal origination, transaction execution, financial modelling, and valuation. Involved in cross-border M&A transactions and U.S. IPO engagements, with sector exposure across logistics, ICT, semiconductor, EMS, and consumer businesses. Experienced in leading due diligence coordination and supporting negotiations with legal, financial, and regulatory stakeholders.
ianlim@cksadvisory.com
Heng Zi Yin (Tiffany)
Analyst
Finance professional with experience in financial analysis, valuation, and investment research across public and private markets. Previously an Equity Analyst at Capital Dynamics, where she conducted company research, built financial models, and prepared investment reports to support portfolio decisions and portfolio performance reviews. Holds a Bachelor of Economics in Finance from Xiamen University Malaysia.
ziyin@cksadvisory.com
Who We Work Best With
We focus on sectors where we have real operating and transaction depth: manufacturing and industrials; consumer, FMCG and food & beverage; technology and software; healthcare; and business services.
01
Owners
Owners of established businesses, typically with profits above RM5 million, who are thinking seriously about a sale, a partner, or a succession plan.
02
Founders
Founders raising growth capital who need to be presented properly to institutional investors.
03
Acquirers
Corporates and funds looking to acquire in Malaysia and needing someone on the ground to find and assess targets.
04
Management teams
Management teams who want an independent read on what their business is worth and what would make it worth more.
Get in touch if you are...
An owner
Thinking about selling, raising capital, bringing in a partner, or simply wanting to know what your business is worth. Early is better than late — most owners we work with spoke to us long before they were ready to act.
A buyer or investor
Looking for opportunities in Malaysia, or wanting to be included when a mandate matches what you are looking for.
A fellow professional
We work regularly with lawyers, auditors, tax advisers, valuers and other corporate advisory firms. If you have a client who needs something we do, or you have something we do not, we would like to know you. We co-broke, we refer, and we pay referral fees properly.
Someone who wants to work here
We are small and we hire rarely, but we hire well. If you want to learn this business properly rather than sit in a corner of a large firm, write to us with something you have built or analysed. We read everything.
Considering a transaction?
Talk to us about your business goals and transaction plans.
From early-stage strategy to transaction execution, we work closely with business owners to navigate complex decisions with clarity and confidence.