ASEAN’s economic weight is still not fully reflected in global investment portfolios despite its growing consumer base, strong foreign investment inflows and expanding digital economy, Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) chairman Dato’ Mohammad Faiz Azmi said.
Speaking at the ASEAN Investment Roadshow in London on Sept 14, Faiz said the region has a combined population of about 700 million and an aggregate gross domestic product of around US$4 trillion, with almost half of its population below the age of 30.
ASEAN also attracted about US$245.7 billion in foreign direct investment in 2025, while digitalisation is projected to contribute an additional US$1 trillion to regional GDP this decade.
“ASEAN’s economic significance is not yet fully reflected in many global portfolios,” he said, adding that the region must make its growth story easier for international investors to understand while improving overall investability.
Faiz said the SC’s Capital Market Masterplan 2026–2030 and the ASEAN Capital Markets Forum’s Action Plan 2026–2030 are aimed at improving market competitiveness, connectivity and investor access.
For Malaysia, he highlighted initiatives including MY Value Up, which focuses on 88 major public-listed companies, as well as a memorandum of understanding with Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission to facilitate single-prospectus dual-listed IPOs and cross-listings of eligible REITs and ETFs.
He said Malaysia’s capital market is supported by established Islamic finance capabilities, regulatory and governance foundations, and greater cross-border connectivity.
At the regional level, the ACMF Action Plan contains five strategic thrusts, 11 priorities and 18 initiatives, including measures to promote ASEAN as a distinct asset class, develop ASEAN indices, strengthen Islamic finance and improve intra-ASEAN market connectivity.
Other regional initiatives include greater consistency in voluntary carbon market standards, implementation of the ASEAN Taxonomy Version 4, simplified ESG disclosures for small and medium-sized enterprises, and blended finance initiatives for adaptation and resilience projects.
Faiz said ASEAN’s next phase of growth would depend not only on economic fundamentals but also on stronger regional integration and greater participation from international investors.
He urged investors to consider ASEAN as a long-term strategic investment destination, saying deeper connectivity would be crucial to mobilising more global capital into the region.
