ECM Libra Investment Bank Bhd (ECMIB) hopes to secure at least six major jobs and plans to use some of its RM900 million shareholders' fund to invest in various sectors to strengthen the group's business in 2008.

"Last year was a year of consolidation. Now we are ready to expand our business further. So far, the number of jobs we have in the pipeline is encouraging," its director Lim Kian Onn said.

However, he declined to disclose the actual number of proposed deals and potential value the firm is looking at.

"We have identified several key areas which we plan to focus on this year, such as providing personalised financial services to maintain a positive growth and may form strategic alliances with foreign investment banks to further strengthen the business," Lim said.

The alliances will enable the group to improve its financial services and provide different sets of skills to its 700 workforce, he told reporters after the opening of ECMIB's branch in Seremban, Negri Sembilan, yesterday.

Opening of the 12th branch was officiated by Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting. Also present was ECMIB chairman Datuk Mohd Ali Samad and ECM Libra Group executive chairman and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Kalimullah Hassan.

Besides the Seremban branch, it has two branches in Penang and one each in Ipoh and Teluk Intan in Perak, Muar, Yong Peng and Kluang in Johor, Kota Kinabalu, Kuantan, Malacca and Kuala Lumpur.