KUALA LUMPUR: Any company that asks Malaysians to invest in their business must be ethical, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Prime Minister said a good business should be able to raise capital on fair terms.
"Malaysians who save and invest should be able to trust the institutions behind the market," he said in his speech at Bursa Malaysia's 50th anniversary gala dinner here on Thursday (Oct 29).
Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said Bursa has a role in helping mid-tier companies take the next steps forward.
"I would like to see more mid-tier companies grow, list and become regional champions. Too many good companies stay small for too long.
If this succeeds, Anwar said this could see more Malaysian businesses grow, more good jobs created and more Malaysians holding a stake in the country's progress.
He said geopolitical tensions are also reshaping trade and investment while technology is changing how work gets done.
He added that the energy transition is also creating new demands for capital.
"Malaysian companies will need to move up the value chain in semiconductors, advanced manufacturing and digital technology and compete confidently abroad," he said.
He added that Malaysia has also built up real strengths, noting how Bursa is home to the global benchmark for crude palm oil futures.
Anwar said some 80% of securities listed on Bursa are Shariah-compliant and that the exchange has also been recognised as the Best Stock Exchange for Islamic Listings for the ninth consecutive year.
"We should be proud of that and keep building on it," he said.
Anwar added that the market has been through hard years, noting how the financial crises and the pandemic tested companies, investors and regulators alike.
"Through each of them, the capital market kept doing its job with investments flowing and helping the economy recover," he said.
Anwar then honoured Bursa's past and present leadership, its regulators, market participants and those whose daily work has kept the institution going.
He also thanked regulators who protected the market's integrity and those who kept it running through the good years and bad.
"I hope that when Malaysians mark Bursa's centenary, they will still find an institution they trust, a market that serves Malaysian enterprise and a place where good ideas can find the capital to grow," he said.
