Standard Chartered Bank will lay off about 200 prople in hong kong, indonesia, korea, india and singapore as it exits the institutional cash equities, equity research and equities capital market (ECM) "with immediate effect." The move is part of a wider plan by the UK-based but Asia-focused bank that involves about 4,000 cuts, half of with made in the last three months of last year, with the remainder expected during 2015. "This decision is purely related to our institutional cash and research business, along with ECM, and does not impact our core strategic aim of supporting the international trade, wealth and fixed income, currencies and commodities needs of our corporate and affluent retail client base, under the refreshed strategy announced last year," said a spokesperson in Singapore