KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia is taking decisive steps to strengthen its global recognition as Malaysia sharpens its ambition to position itself as an attractive investment hub in Asia.
The exchange will not only focus solely on serving domestic investors but is now actively reshaping itself to attract regional and international capital flows.
Finance Minister II and Acting Economy Minister Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan said a key thrust of this strategy is making Bursa Malaysia more accessible and appealing to global investors.
This year alone, he said, Bursa Malaysia has seen the entry of new dual listings, a clear signal of growing international confidence in Malaysia’s capital market ecosystem.
“By deepening cross-border connectivity and enhancing market visibility, Bursa Malaysia is positioning itself as a serious gateway for international investors seeking exposure to Southeast Asia.
“When we connect our markets more effectively with the region and the world, we transform Bursa Malaysia into a destination of choice for global capital.
“This is not just about listings – it is about building investor confidence, ensuring transparency, and creating a vibrant, competitive marketplace that reflects Malaysia’s economic potential,” Amir Hamzah told reporters after the listing of Orkim Bhd on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia today.
He said market reforms and investor-friendly policies remain central to the government’s broader agenda to elevate Malaysia’s standing in the global financial landscape. “Our priority is to strengthen fundamentals, encourage high-quality listings, and ensure that Malaysia remains competitive as an investment hub in the region.”
Amir Hamzah said that through regional integration, regulatory enhancements and a clear commitment to global best practices, Bursa Malaysia is steadily evolving into a strategic platform. The exchange will not only serve local enterprises but also attract long-term international investors looking for growth, stability and opportunity in Asia.
Amir Hamzah said the outlook for Malaysia’s capital market remains highly encouraging.
Reflecting on the current performance, he described this year as one of the most active and extended periods the market has experienced in recent memory.
“I can confidently say that this has been a very strong year for the capital market. We expect Bursa Malaysia to outperform last year’s results,” Amir Hamzah said.
He noted that last year, Bursa Malaysia recorded 25 listings. This year, the expectation is for a significant leap forward.
“We hope to reach up to 60 listings this year. With that level of activity, we believe the total capital raised could approach RM30 billion. These numbers are important because they reflect strong investor interest and business confidence.”
However, beyond short-term targets, Bursa Malaysia’s longer-term direction is shifting towards building depth and scale.
“Moving forward, our focus is not just about numbers. What matters just as much is the scale and quality of the companies we bring to market,” Amir Hamzah said.
In line with this, Bursa Malaysia is expected to place greater emphasis on attracting larger, high-quality companies, particularly to strengthen the Main Market.
“We want to see stronger anchor players and a more solid main board. This requires close engagement with Bursa in setting future targets – not only in terms of volume, but also in terms of the weight and impact of the players within the market,” Amir Hamzah said.
Touching on Orkim’s listing, he said let the company’s story be an inspiration to Malaysia’s mid-market enterprises,
“It shows what is possible when ambition meets discipline and institutional support. Through frameworks like GEAR-Up, mid-sized companies can evolve into listed entities, attract capital, and compete regionally.
“This year, 2025, has been a robust one for Malaysia’s capital market. Orkim’s listing marks the 58th IPO – a clear signal that investor confidence is strong and that opportunities exist for companies ready to embrace transparency, governance, and sustainable growth.
“I encourage our mid-market enterprises to aspire toward listing, to leverage the strength of our capital markets, to scale, and to contribute to Malaysia’s economic dynamism,“ Amir Hamzah said.
Bursa Malaysia CEO Datuk Fad’l Mohamed said Malaysia’s capital market currently stands at about RM4.25 trillion in value, with equities being RM2 trillion or 47% of the total.
He said the Malaysian equities market serves as a cornerstone to the nation’s economic growth and wealth creation.
“Bursa Malaysia is not just a platform for companies to raise funds; it is also where the savings of millions of Malaysians – channelled through institutional investors – are deployed to generate long-term returns.
“About RM1.6 trillion of public and pension funds are invested in local equities. In other words, our public equity market serves as a vital engine for national savings, fuelling business expansion and economic growth.
“By providing a trusted and robust marketplace, Bursa Malaysia empowers companies like Orkim to access growth capital and build enterprise value, for the nation and its people,“ he said at the listing ceremony.
Fad’l Mohamed said Bursa Malaysia’s broader aspiration is to expand the public listed companies (PLCs) universe, not only in terms of size but also in terms of diversity and appeal.
This includes building stronger and more scalable Bumiputera PLCs, in line with the government’s Bumiputera Economic Transformation Plan, he said.
