ASEAN is increasingly being repositioned as a structurally attractive global investment destination, as deep-pocketed institutional investors pivot toward long-term themes anchored on artificial intelligence (AI), supply chain realignment and the global energy transition.
This trend was reinforced at Maybank Investment Banking Group’s Invest ASEAN forum in Singapore, which brought together around 200 institutional investors and prime brokerage clients overseeing a combined US$23 trillion (RM93 trillion) in assets under management.
The event also featured 54 companies across ASEAN-6 and India with a combined market capitalisation of US$553 billion, spanning banking, technology, consumer, healthcare, manufacturing and renewable energy sectors, reflecting broad-based investor interest in the region’s structural growth drivers.
The strong participation underscores ASEAN’s evolution from a cyclical emerging market story into a multi-year allocation hub, where global capital is increasingly being deployed into themes such as AI-led digital transformation, manufacturing relocation strategies and clean energy adoption.
Maybank Investment Banking Group CEO Michael Oh-Lau said investor engagement remains robust, with sustained interest reflecting confidence in ASEAN’s resilience despite global uncertainties, particularly across energy transition, supply chain shifts and AI-driven transformation trends.
On the macroeconomic front, Maybank has upgraded its ASEAN-6 GDP growth forecast to 4.7%, while raising Malaysia’s 2026 growth outlook to 4.9% from 4.4%, citing resilient manufacturing output, stronger net exports and continued investment momentum.
Malaysia is expected to benefit from the global AI upcycle and its position as a net energy exporter, alongside strong inflows into technology, renewable energy, industrial real estate and infrastructure projects.
Maybank has also lifted its year-end FBM KLCI target to 1,750, supported by projected earnings growth of 7.5%, stable foreign fund participation and sustained investment-cycle momentum. The planned expansion of the KLCI to 50 constituents is expected to further broaden market participation and deepen sector representation.
The bank also turned more constructive on the technology sector, citing long-term upside from AI and data centre expansion, which is expected to reinforce Malaysia’s positioning within the region’s evolving digital and industrial ecosystem.
Overall, the Invest ASEAN platform highlights a clear inflection point: ASEAN is being structurally re-rated by global capital, with Malaysia emerging as a key beneficiary of AI-driven, supply chain-realigned and energy transition-led investment flows.
