SC positions ASEAN as investment asset class, Malaysia as regional gateway

THE Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) is positioning ASEAN as an integrated investment asset class for global investors, highlighting the region’s economic scale and growth potential while promoting Malaysia as a gateway to regional opportunities.

SC chairman Datuk Mohammad Faiz Azmi said ASEAN’s economic fundamentals, demographic strength and diversity warranted greater attention from international investors.

“ASEAN already has the economic scale, growth potential and diversity to warrant greater attention from global investors. Its diversity is a source of resilience and growth within an increasingly connected region.

“Our focus is to highlight ASEAN's evolving investment landscape, the region's increasing appeal to global investors and its potential as an integrated and investable asset class with Malaysia as a gateway,” he said.

He was speaking at the inaugural ASEAN Investment Roadshow (AIR) in London, co-hosted by the SC and FTSE Russell and attended by about 100 stakeholders and market participants, including institutional investors, asset managers, regulators, index companies and media.

Held at The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple earlier this week, the roadshow sought to deepen international investors’ understanding of investment opportunities in ASEAN and highlight initiatives to improve the region’s accessibility and investability.

ASEAN is a US$4.26 trillion economy with a population of nearly 700 million and goods trade worth US$4.37 trillion, although its representation in global investment portfolios remains relatively modest compared with its economic scale and growth potential.

Tan Sri Andrew Sheng, distinguished fellow at the Asia Global Institute, University of Hong Kong, said ASEAN capital markets needed to communicate their investment potential more consistently.

“ASEAN capital markets have a good story to tell but must tell it often to remind investors that we are the growth market in emerging markets,” he said.

The roadshow supports the agenda of the ASEAN Capital Markets Forum and forms part of the SC’s efforts to connect international capital with opportunities across the region.

Malaysia’s role as a gateway to ASEAN is also a key objective of the SC’s Capital Market Masterplan 2026-2030, which seeks to strengthen regional fundraising, investment opportunities, cross-border collaboration and regulatory cooperation.

The SC said this was reflected in its recent memorandum of understanding with the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission to facilitate dual-listed initial public offerings and cross-listing of eligible funds, giving issuers and investors broader market access and opportunities for cross-border participation.

Jamie Perrett, head of EMEA Index Product Management and global head of Index Research & Design at FTSE Russell Equities & Multi-Asset, said ASEAN’s expanding economic scale would become increasingly relevant to global portfolios.

“ASEAN’s growing economic scale will play an increasingly important role in global portfolios. Its distinctive mix of domestic demand, supply-chain diversification and transition financing can complement broader emerging-market exposure, while reforms across the region are making its capital markets increasingly accessible to global investors,” he said.

The SC said the roadshow reflected its commitment to raising the visibility of ASEAN and Malaysia among global investors and developing a more connected, accessible and investable regional capital market ecosystem. - September 17, 2026