30/07/2025

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WEDNESDAY | JULY 30, 2025

SC: Investments crucial in Asean sustainability journey

Bursa confident securities trading will pick up in H2

Ű BY HAYATUN RAZAK sunbiz@thesundaily.com

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is set to accelerate its digital transformation by tapping Chinese expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing, following a landmark collaboration spearheaded by Ramssol Group Bhd with Tencent Cloud and supported by Equinix. The Malaysia-China Tech and Trade Cooperation Exchange Conference 2025, yesterday, underscored the nation’s ambitions to become a regional hub for next-generation technologies while deepening ties with China. The initiative will introduce Tencent Cloud’s advanced AI and cloud solutions to the Malaysian mar Ű BY DEEPALAKSHMI MANICKAM sunbiz@thesundaily.com KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia Bhd is optimistic that securities trading activity will improve in the second half of 2025 on the back of strong domestic liquidity and improved sentiment. CEO Datuk Fad’l Mohamed said Malaysia has“very strong domestic liquid ity”, with asset managers currently hold ing substantial cash positions. “So they will want to deploy that cash. We expect the second half to be more optimistic, with higher levels of ADV (average daily trading value). “If you look at where consensus is, ana lyst consensus remains at about RM2.6 bil lion in terms of ADV. So we still hold to that,“ he said at a media briefing on the group’s first-half 2025 financial results yesterday. He added that current market valua tions also support the outlook for a recov ery in the latter half of the year. “Also, with valuations where they are today, we certainly are very optimistic about the market having a better second half of 2025,“ Fad’l said. Securities trading contributed 42% to Bursa Malaysia’s total earnings in the first half of 2025. The drop in operating reve nue was largely due to a 24.8% decline in average daily value for on-market trades, which fell to RM2.5 billion from RM3.3 bil lion a year ago. Fad’l said the decline in securities trad ing volume was cyclical rather than struc tural. He noted that investor optimism and capital deployment in 2025 are being driven by expectations of stronger earn ings recovery in 2026. As a result of weaker trading revenue, Bursa Malaysia posted a 19.3% drop in net profit to RM125.5 million for the first half of 2025. The stock exchange’s total revenue for the first half stood at RM356.96 million, down 7.8% from RM387.14 million a year earlier. It declared an interim dividend of 14 sen per share for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2025. This amounts to RM113.3 million, corresponding to a divi dend payout ratio of 90.3%.

Ű BY JOHN GILBERT sunbiz@thesundaily.com

bridge for cross-border technology exchange and innovation in Asean. “These collaborative events are more than just knowledge-sharing platforms; they are strategic gateways to future growth,” he said. “By aligning Malaysia’s digital ambi tions with China’s tech expertise, we are paving the way for sustained inno vation, enhanced bilateral trade and scalable transformation across Asean.” Teo described the initiative as a model for international cooperation where the Malaysia-China relationship continues to stand as a model where innovation drives value and collabora tion leads to mutual prosperity. “Let us move forward with confidence and a shared commitment to shaping a better, smarter future for Asia through innovation and cooperation,” she said. ACMF is assessing the feasibility of introducing Voluntary Carbon Market Guidelines,” he said. On the challenge of adaptation financing, Faiz pointed out that many adaptation projects – such as seawall construction – lack com mercial returns and rely heavily on public funding. “There could be a role for market-based financing solutions if we can enhance the bankability of these projects.” The SIDC–CASI SRI Conference 2025, jointly organised by the Securities Industry Development Corporation (SIDC) and the Capacity building Alliance of Sustainable Investment (CASI), opened yesterday. The three-day conference, which began yesterday, has attracted over 300 local and international delegates under the theme “Shaping the Future of Asean Business in Sustainability”. A key highlight is the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between SIDC and CASI, formalising a long-term collabora tion to advance sustainable finance education and talent development across Asean and other developing regions. The MoU outlines a strategic framework for academic and pro fessional cooperation, focusing on joint initiatives that enhance capac ity in sustainable finance, particu larly within emerging markets. SIDC CEO Tengku Zarina Tengku Chik stated that the ongoing collaboration reflects a shared com mitment to developing sustainable finance competencies not only in Malaysia but also across emerging markets in Asia and beyond. CASI chairman Dr Ma Jun said the partnership with SIDC marks a significant step forward in promot ing sustainable finance education and talent development across Malaysia and the Asean region.

o Malaysian regulator and regional counterparts working to ensure capital markets support and promote adoption of green financing

KUALA LUMPUR: Investments are crucial in accelerating Asean’s sustainability journey, particularly in the development of green industries such as renewable energy, clean technology, and regional carbon markets. To achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the region will require an esti mated US$3.7 trillion to US$6.7 tril lion (RM15.6 trillion to RM28.3 tril lion) in green investments. Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) chairman Datuk Mohammad Faiz Azmi said Southeast Asia accounted for only 2% of global clean energy spending in 2023, underscor ing the significant gap between cur rent investment levels and the region’s long-term sustainability goals. “Mobilising sufficient financing will be key to managing our transition suc cessfully,” he said at the SIDC–CASI Sustainable and Responsible Invest ment Conference 2025 yesterday.

Faiz noted that Asean is poised to be a major contributor to global growth in the medium term, with its share projected to be about 33.7% of global gross domestic product. However, he stressed that sus tained resilience is essential amid ongoing geopolitical and economic uncertainties. Elaborating on how the SC and its regional counterparts are work ing to ensure capital markets sup port a sustainable Asean, Faiz said it involves promoting the adoption of sustainable financing through the development of taxonomies to iden tify green activities and projects. “The Asean Taxonomy for

benchmarks. Malaysia’s broader digital push includes the Online Safety Act 2025, which mandates platforms to curb harm ful content such as scams, cyberbullying and child exploitation, while maintain ing innovation and free expression. She cited campaigns like Kempen Internet Selamat reaching over 43,000 participants in 348 schools and cash less adoption drives at Nadi Centres benefiting 1.8 million users as exam ples of initiatives fostering safer and more inclusive digital participation. Broadband penetration currently stands at 130.8% for mobile and 48.4% for fixed lines. Ramssol Group chairman Datuk Abdul Harith Abdullah said the col laboration reflects the group’s long term strategy to position Malaysia as a Sustainable Finance serves as a template to assess and classify eligi ble green activities,” he said. Six key sectors – energy, trans port and storage, construction and real estate, agriculture, manufactur ing, and water and waste manage ment – which together contribute 85% of the region’s greenhouse gas emissions, have been prioritised. “The technical screening criteria developed for these sectors will help attract sustainable invest ments and financing,” Faiz said. He emphasised that sustainable growth requires ongoing invest ment in resources and capacity building. “The SC is facilitating the estab lishment of an association for sus tainability practitioners – including preparers, auditors, and other related professionals – to address current and future training needs, develop relevant skills, and set pro fessional standards,” he said. Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship includes leading the Asean Capital Markets Forum (ACMF), a regional platform for securities regulators. Underscoring the importance of decarbonisation, Faiz noted that the ACMF recently issued the Asean Transition Finance Guidance to help companies create credible transition plans and secure the nec essary financing. “Carbon markets and mecha nisms are taking shape across Asean member countries, and the

Faiz says mobilising sufficient financing will be key to managing Asean’s energy transition successfully.

Ramssol in landmark AI, cloud computing initiative with Tencent, Equinix

grow, connect and innovate,”Teo said. “Malaysia is proud to play a pivotal role in this journey. With our strategic position in Southeast Asia, a growing digital economy, and a future-ready talent pool, we remain committed to driving innovation that benefits all.” She stressed the need for alliances “anchored on trust, mutual respect and shared ambitions” to build an open, secure and future-focused digi tal ecosystem that supports invest ment and long-term growth. Teo also outlined ongoing initia tives under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, including tech nical standards by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to ensure communica tions equipment and services meet safety, interoperability and reliability

ket through Ramssol’s subsidiary, Rams Solutions, targeting retail and service industries seeking to auto mate operations, enhance customer engagement and adopt data-driven strategies for greater competitiveness across Asean markets. Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching, who officiated the event, said Malaysia’s leadership as Asean Chair in 2025 positioned it uniquely to drive regional innovation and stability. She highlighted Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s role in bro kering peace between Thailand and Cambodia over a border dispute as an example of Malaysia’s diplomatic and technological leadership. “Technologies such as AI, smart communication, and cloud comput ing are redefining how economies