KUALA LUMPUR: Institutional investors are set to play a central role in Malaysia’s ambitious Capital Market Masterplan 2026-2030 (CMP 2026-2030), leveraging long-term capital to drive market resilience, inclusivity and regional expansion.
Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (Diperbadankan) (KWAP) welcomed the launch of the five-year roadmap, noting its timeliness amid heightened global economic uncertainties and shifting geopolitical dynamics.
“The launch of the CMP is also timely, particularly amid heightened global economic uncertainties and shifting geopolitical dynamics. In such an environment, strong and well-functioning capital markets play an increasingly important role in providing stability, facilitating capital formation, and supporting economic resilience over the long term,” said KWAP CEO Datuk Nik Amlizan Mohamed.
As a long-term institutional investor managing retirement funds for Malaysia’s public sector pensioners, KWAP said it remains committed to contributing to the growth and depth of the nation’s capital market through initiatives such as Dana Pemacu and Dana Perintis, while allocating long-term capital across sectors supporting national development.
For Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB), Malaysia’s largest fund management company, the CMP’s emphasis on boosting corporate performance and expanding the market to RM5.8-6.3 trillion by 2030 provides a timely blueprint to create sustainable value for all Malaysians.
“As a government-linked investment company, PNB is committed to helping deliver this ambition by playing our role as catalytic stewards, driving stronger shareholder value performance by holding boards accountable, supporting quality IPOs, and helping promising private companies enter the public market,” said PNB president and group chief executive Datuk Abdul Rahman Ahmad.
He added that PNB will also participate in developing innovative debt and global sukuk products to expand Malaysia’s debt market, while supporting the domestic private credit ecosystem through PNB’s domestic direct investment arm, Ekuinas.
Inclusivity remains a cornerstone of the CMP, and PNB is leveraging digital tools and programmes to broaden participation among Malaysians.
Initiatives such as Celik Madani for university students, the flagship Minggu Saham Amanah Malaysia, and the in-house robo-advisory platform ASNB RIA aim to increase early engagement, improve long-term retention and democratise access to capital market opportunities.
PNB also highlighted tailored pre-initial public offering programmes to prepare Bumiputera companies for public listings, dovetailing with broader efforts under the government-linked enterprises activation and reform programme (GEAR-uP) and the “Bumiputera relay race” model with Ekuinas.
Sustainability is another priority, with PNB embedding environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles into its investment and stewardship frameworks.
“The CMP underscores that ESG and socially responsible investment frameworks should be treated as mainstream investment propositions, not peripheral considerations,” Abdul Rahman said.
The SC’s target to mobilise RM90–100 billion in sustainability financing by 2030 aligns with PNB’s strategy to support projects with measurable environmental and social impact.
KWAP similarly emphasised the importance of channelling long-term capital to sectors that support national development while providing stability and resilience for the broader market.
On regional opportunities, PNB said Malaysian funds can help homegrown champions expand in Asean by providing growth-oriented capital, facilitating cross-border listings, and strengthening partnerships with regional counterparts.
The CMP highlights market-based pathways for Malaysian Asean Business Entities and Bumiputera-owned ventures to scale sustainably while competing regionally.
“The collaboration between Ekuinas and PNB in the listing of Orkim Bhd illustrates how companies can be nurtured through different stages of growth,” Abdul Rahman noted.
“This ‘relay race’ model allows Malaysian champions to scale sustainably while preparing them to compete in regional markets.”
With the CMP setting an ambitious target to grow Malaysia’s capital market by RM1.5–2 trillion over the next five years, institutional investors such as KWAP and PNB are expected to be key catalysts in translating policy ambitions into tangible outcomes for market vibrancy, sustainability and regional competitiveness.
