KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 21): Bursa Malaysia Bhd is optimistic about the outlook for 2025, citing a robust pipeline of initial public offerings (IPOs) and an active capital market, said chairman Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar.
He said that there have been 46 listings so far this year, with a robust pipeline ahead.
“Our focus remains on fulfilling our purpose as a marketplace where businesses can raise capital from investors to support their growth,” he said at the sidelines of the 63rd World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) General Assembly and Annual Meeting on Thursday.
He said the bourse welcomes companies of all sizes — small, medium, and large — to participate in the market, which has been a key factor driving the strong pipeline.
Explaining further, Abdul Wahid stated that the directive from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for the exchange to enhance efficiency by reducing processing times to within three months has sparked increased interest in market participation.
“Prime minister wants to see a lot more coming to the market, and of course, our broking community and advisers are all doing their part engaging with all the businesses, so the pipeline for 2025 looks good,” he said.
Anwar, who is also finance minister, on Wednesday said that the rise in Malaysia’s equity market capitalisation this year, which has surpassed RM2 trillion, is further evidence of Malaysia's economic recovery.
He also commended both the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) and Bursa Malaysia for their continuous efforts to ensure that the capital markets thrive and remain attractive to investors.
On Asean 2025, Abdul Wahid said the exchange is collaborating with the Ministry of Finance and the SC to coordinate several programmes planned for next year.
However, he noted that details of these programmes are yet to be disclosed as they are still in the planning stages.
“We can be assured that Malaysia will be actively engaged in various Asean initiatives, including those in the financial services sector and the capital markets, where we play a role,” he said.
He also highlighted the recent signing of a memorandum of understanding among all Asean exchanges, describing it as a prelude to the activities and collaborations anticipated for the coming year.
He further noted that Malaysia’s efforts to strengthen its regional position are timely, given the significant growth potential in Asean, a market of 700 million people.
However, he said intra-Asean trade remains below 30%.
“This is an ongoing initiative, and with Malaysia taking the lead, we hope to see more Malaysian companies driving increased intra-Asean trade and investment,” he added.
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