02/06/2026

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TUESDAY | JUNE 2, 2026

Webull steers M’sians towards longer-term wealth building

Ű BY JOHN GILBERT sunbiz@thesundaily.com

KUALA LUMPUR: Webull Securities (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd’s user base in Malaysia has reached close to 300,000 registered accounts, with a meaningful portion already active and trading regularly, as retail participation in digital investing continues to deepen. Speaking on the platform’s growth trajectory, CEO Kenneth Chan said the company is seeing not just an increase in sign-ups but also stronger engagement among existing users. “Registered users now are about nearly 300,000, and a good portion of these accounts are active and activity is continuing to grow,” he told SunBiz . Chan noted that the behaviour shift is becoming more structural than cyclical, with investors showing greater consistency in participation. He said users are becoming “more sticky”, suggesting higher retention and repeated trading activity rather than one-off engagement. Chan did not disclose a formal projection for subscriber growth over the next three to five years, but indicated that current momentum is driven by growing retail interest in online investment platforms and increasing user familiarity with digital trading tools. “Overall, Webull is positioning its Malaysia operations around sus tained user engagement rather than rapid onboarding alone, as com petition among digital brokerage platforms continues to intensify,” he said. When asked about how Bursa Malaysia compares with other regional markets, particularly amid volatility in Western markets and renewed interest in Southeast Asia, Chan said several macro factors are shaping how investors position themselves, including currency movements and interest rates. “Of course, we all know we are seeing a stronger ringgit,” Chan said, pointing to the current currency environment as one factor in fluencing investor behaviour. He added that a lower interest rate backdrop typically supports equities and improves financing conditions for businesses and consumers. “A stronger ringgit can cut both ways for investors. On one hand, it may support local equities through broader market sentiment. On the other hand, it makes foreign assets – particularly US stocks – more accessible for Malaysian investors. “A stronger ringgit means you are able to buy US stocks more,” he said,

o Digital investment platform’s user base in country approaching 300,000, sign-ups increasing and participation gaining momentum

we also have a licence for unit trusts. Cash management is the beautiful part. When everything is uncertain, what do you do?” Chan said. He explained that instead of withdrawing funds from the platform during volatile periods, users can shift allocations to a cash management product called Moneybull, offered through a partnership with AHAM Asset Management Bhd. “You don’t need to take the money out from Webull and put it somewhere else. You can just liquidate part of your portfolio into cash and park it there.” Moneybull is a money market fund that currently offers returns of around 3.2%, depending on pre vailing conditions. While not identical to a fixed deposit (FD), it is designed to offer similar liquidity without lock-ups or early withdrawal penalties. “Putting your money in a fixed deposit will give you maybe 2% to 3%. Here, you’re getting about 3.2% on a money market fund. It’s as liquid as an FD in practice, and you can still trade Bursa while your cash is earning interest daily,” Chan said. This structure allows investors to remain active in the market even while holding defensive positions. For example, Chan said, an investor can park RM100,000 in Moneybull, earn a daily yield, and still deploy the same capital intraday for trading activity. The usage has been picking up, particularly during uncertain market phases when investors prefer to reduce exposure without fully exiting the market. “In periods like this, people feel as

adding that currency shifts directly affect the cost of overseas exposure. Chan also pointed to interest rate trends as a broader support factor for markets. He said lower rates generally make borrowing cheaper, which can help companies expand and im prove growth prospects, while also reducing financing costs for individuals. Rather than framing this as a directional market call, he described it as a structural opportunity for investors. Chan said the key is flexibility, adding that investors increasingly need the ability to move between asset classes and geographies without friction or high transaction costs. “Today you say strong ringgit … tomorrow we don’t know. However, the Webull platform’s importance lies in its ability to allow users to adjust portfolios quickly as con ditions change. “In that context, Webull aims to enable investors to switch strategies at relatively low cost, whether they are moving between local and overseas markets or adjusting to shifting interest rate environments.” Moving on, Chan said Webull is expanding its product offering beyond traditional trading, with the platform now covering securities, futures, unit trusts and cash management services within a single ecosystem. The expansion is designed to give investors more flexibility in managing their port folios, especially during periods of market uncertainty. “We have securities, futures, and

Chan says Webull is continuing to roll out features to improve security, usability and investor confidence while maintaining a low-cost structure.

collaboration had the potential to accelerate economic growth in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, while also developing an alternative corridor linking Asean with East Asia. “This connectivity will accelerate the flow of Indonesian commodities from the Sumatra region, such as palm oil, coffee, cocoa, tea and other agricultural products, to Penang, Kedah and Perlis, as well as “Previously, you had to move money out, put it in the bank, lock it in an FD, and deal with penalties. Now everything is in one system. That flexibility changes how people manage their portfolios,” said Chan. The broader goal, he added, is not just platform growth, but to change how Malaysians approach investing over the medium term. Chan said he hopes that within if you stay fully in the market, you might lose money. So they move into cash management. It becomes an important part of portfolio construction,” Chan said. He contrasted the current setup with earlier workflows, where investors would typically transfer funds from brokerage accounts to banks, then place them in fixed deposits, often with penalties for early withdrawal.

surrounding areas,” he said. Operationally, the approximately 255km route between Belawan Port and Penang Port will be extended by 133km to Perlis Inland Port, bringing the total route length to about 388km. The Indonesian Consulate General in Penang said the route was more efficient than the conventional Belawan Port-Singapore route, which was almost twice as long. – Bernama “In that way, I personally want to see more Malaysians become more aware of investment. They’re able to invest in Malaysia and globally at a very low cost and form what I would call mid-term wealth accumulation.” Webull is continuing to roll out features to improve security, usability and investor confidence while maintaining a low-cost structure, Chan said. “We are doing a lot of feature rollouts to make things more secure, so people feel confident and build trust. At the same time, we will always remain a low-cost platform.” the next three to five years, more Malaysians will become comfortable with investing, both locally and globally, at lower costs and in a more structured way focused on wealth accumulation rather than short-term speculation.

BNCT, Penang Port and Perlis Inland Port cooperation boon for regional trade GEORGE TOWN: Cooperation among PT Belawan New Container Terminal (BNCT), Mutiara Perlis Sdn Bhd and Penang Port Sdn Bhd is expected to strengthen the regional logistics and trade sector. markets, while Penang Port would function as a transshipment hub and Perlis Inland Port as a land logistics link to Southeast Asian and East Asian countries. Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail.

The Indonesian Consulate General in Penang said the synergy among the three parties was expected to improve supply chain efficiency, accelerate cross-border cargo flows and connect integrated digital systems to ensure seamless movement of goods. Indonesian Consul General in Penang Wanton Saragih said the

The three parties signed a memorandum of cooperation on Saturday in conjunction with the opening of the Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Free Trade Zone Perlis Inland Clearance Depot (PIP) by the

In a statement, the Indonesian Consulate General in Penang said BNCT would serve as a key gateway in Sumatra to strengthen the distri bution of goods across regional