LONDON — The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) is positioning ASEAN as an integrated and investable asset class, with Malaysia serving as a gateway for regional fundraising and investment opportunities.
SC Chairman Datuk Mohammad Faiz Azmi said ASEAN’s economic fundamentals and demographic strength positioned the region to attract greater interest from international investors.
“ASEAN already has the economic scale, growth potential and diversity to warrant greater attention from global investors. Its diversity is a source of resilience and growth within an increasingly connected region.
“Our focus is to highlight ASEAN’s evolving investment landscape, the region’s increasing appeal to global investors and its potential as an integrated and investable asset class, with Malaysia as a gateway,” he said.
He was speaking at the inaugural ASEAN Investment Roadshow (AIR) in London, convened by the SC earlier this week and co-hosted with FTSE Russell.
The event brought together around 100 key stakeholders and market participants, including institutional investors, asset managers, regulators, index companies and media representatives, to highlight ASEAN’s potential as a long-term investment destination.
Held at The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, one of the Inns of Court, the roadshow aimed to deepen investors’ understanding of investment opportunities in ASEAN and highlight ongoing initiatives to enhance the region’s accessibility and investability.
The event supports the agenda of the ASEAN Capital Markets Forum (ACMF) and forms part of the SC’s efforts to connect international capital with opportunities across ASEAN, while positioning Malaysia as a gateway for regional fundraising and investment.
ASEAN is a US$4.26 trillion economy with a population of nearly 700 million and goods trade worth US$4.37 trillion. However, its representation in global investment portfolios remains relatively modest compared with its economic significance and growth potential.
Distinguished Fellow of the Asia Global Institute, University of Hong Kong, Tan Sri Andrew Sheng said ASEAN capital markets had a strong investment proposition that needed to be communicated more consistently to global investors.
“ASEAN capital markets have a good story to tell but must tell it often to remind investors that we are the growth market in emerging markets,” he said.
Malaysia’s role as a gateway to ASEAN is a key objective of the SC’s Capital Market Masterplan 2026-2030, which seeks to strengthen regional fundraising, investment opportunities, cross-border collaboration and regulatory cooperation.
This includes a recent Memorandum of Understanding between the SC and the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission to facilitate dual-listed initial public offerings (IPOs) and the cross-listing of eligible funds, giving issuers and investors broader market access and greater opportunities for cross-border participation.
FTSE Russell Head of EMEA Index Product Management and Global Head of Index Research & Design, Equities and Multi-Asset, Jamie Perrett said ASEAN’s growing economic scale would play an increasingly important role in global investment portfolios.
“ASEAN’s growing economic scale will play an increasingly important role in global portfolios. Its distinctive mix of domestic demand, supply-chain diversification and transition financing can complement broader emerging-market exposure, while reforms across the region are making its capital markets increasingly accessible to global investors,” he said.
The roadshow reflects the SC’s commitment to strengthening the visibility of ASEAN and Malaysia among global investors and advancing a more connected, accessible and investable regional capital market ecosystem.
