Capital market stakeholders gathered over the past two days at the Malaysian Bond & Sukuk Conference 2019 which was co-organised by Malaysian Rating Corporation Berhad (MARC) and Amanie Group (Amanie). The event was officiated by Dato’ Wira Haji Amiruddin Haji Hamzah, Deputy Finance Minister, Ministry of Finance Malaysia.
The conference, which was held at Securities Commission Malaysia, began with a welcome address by Datuk Syed Zaid Albar, Chairman of Securities Commission Malaysia. It showcased 29 speakers and more than 150 participants comprising regulators, issuers, investors, fintech and platform owners, media, Shariah experts and professional service providers. Through nine high-impact sessions, the conference concluded that the capital market has a leading role to play through strategic collaborations to ensure the standardisation and growth of sustainability throughout the capital and financial markets, in both the bond and sukuk markets.
Highlights from the conference include iterations of the vast similarities between Islamic finance and sustainability, and the vast untapped potential for bonds and sukuk through sustainability-themed issuances and instruments, by both the wholesale and retail markets. Panellists shared that there is increasing adoption of sustainability themes by bond and sukuk issuers and this trend should continue as investment appetite increases for such instruments.
Another key area that was discussed in several sessions was the retail market; from the retail investors’ perspective and tech-driven platforms to ensure inclusiveness of retail investors, to how there could be higher participation from retail investors if products are priced lower. The increase in retail investors would also deepen secondary liquidity which would bode well for the Malaysian capital market. Other notable topics discussed included broadening access to the bond and sukuk markets and improving their efficiency.
Click here for conference content.
Contacts:
Beatrice Thio, +603-2717 2946 / beatrice@marc.com.my;
Lalitha Sivanesan, +603-2717 2953 / lalitha@marc.com.my;
Nurfarain Mohd Dom, +603-2717 2925 / farah@marc.com.my
