SC managing director Datin Paduka Azalina Adham said the conference aims to showcase Asean’s investment potential.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will host the Asean Investment Conference 2025 (AIC 2025) with the aim to position “Asean as an asset class” and attract capital flows within the region and beyond.
Organised by the Securities Commission (SC) in partnership with Affin Group, CGS International Securities Malaysia and RHB Banking Group, the event is expected to bring together 400 policymakers, regulators, investors, and corporate leaders to Kuala Lumpur on April 8-9 to discuss regional growth opportunities.
SC managing director Datin Paduka Azalina Adham said the conference aims to showcase Asean’s investment potential not just within the region but also to China, Japan, and South Korea under the Asean Plus Three framework.
“There are a lot of opportunities in Asean, as well as Malaysia, and the attempt is to unlock capital within the region,” she said at a press briefing on AIC 2025 yesterday.
Meanwhile, Affin Bank president and group chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Wan Razly Abdullah highlighted that AIC 2025 would strengthen institutional partnerships and facilitate cross-border investments.
“This partnership enables us to globalise institutional ties, deepen regional integration, and unlock new investment flows across Asean,” he said, adding that Malaysia’s stock exchange valuations and stable political environment make it an opportune time to host the event.
He noted that global uncertainties, including the US-China trade war, have left investors seeking stable opportunities.
“There are a lot of pockets where they can’t invest because of the uncertainties and the tension. This is where Asean is emerging as a prominent place.
“With Asean’s 600 million population, it is a sizeable economic zone that is not caught within this global complex. We want to capture a lot of those investments and new flows coming to Malaysia, being part of Asean.”
CGS International Securities Malaysia deputy CEO Khairi Shahrin Arief Baki said there have been many enquiries on cross border financing.
“We do see immediate opportunities in the pipeline in terms of raising funds across Asean,” he said.
Meanwhile, RHB Investment Bank managing director and CEO Kevin Davies pointed to Malaysia’s strong capital market performance over the past year and growing interest in regional capital markets.
“We’re coming off the back of a stellar capital markets performance here in Malaysia last year. We had the largest number of public offerings, if that’s any indicator, this year as well. What’s particularly of interest today is the number of enquiries coming from within the region in terms of exploring capital markets here.”
