KUALA LUMPUR: The local equity market remained resilient, rising 1.5 per cent last Friday, reflecting investor confidence in the country’s economic fundamentals, Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said.
The benchmark index, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI), rose to 1,720.3 points on April 24, 2026, compared with 1,695.21 points the previous week, he said during an online briefing on the global supply crisis today.
"The index also reached a high of 1,721.7 points on April 23, 2026, surpassing the pre-conflict level of 1,716.61 points recorded before Feb 27, 2026.
"This reflects investor confidence in the country’s economic fundamentals. However, the government does not assess economic strength solely based on financial markets,” he said.
Akmal Nasrullah said true economic strength must also be measured by households’ ability to manage daily expenses, businesses maintaining operations, workers retaining jobs, and industries continuing to receive necessary inputs.
He added that government-linked companies (GLCs) and government-linked investment companies (GLICs) play a broader role beyond safeguarding investment returns, including strengthening economic resilience through investments in energy, logistics, food, technology, infrastructure and high-value-added industries.
The National Economic Action Council (MTEN) also heard a briefing from Khazanah Nasional Bhd on the medium-term economic implications of the global supply crisis, he said.
"Among the implications shared by Khazanah is that the global supply crisis is changing how companies and investors evaluate investment locations.
"Energy stability, access to input materials, logistics continuity and a country’s ability to manage shocks have become key factors in investment decisions,” he said.
He added that countries able to secure energy supply, safeguard industrial operations and strengthen domestic supply chains would have a stronger advantage in attracting investment.
Malaysia, he said, has several key structural strengths, including its strategic geographical position, diversified industrial base, stable energy infrastructure, as well as a maturing electrical and electronics and semiconductor ecosystem.
"These strengths are further supported by the strong capabilities of GLCs and the government’s ability to coordinate swift and structured cross-ministerial responses effectively,” he added. - Bernama
