Bursa Malaysia sees sizable untapped potential investor base in Sabah
KUCHING: Bursa Malaysia Bhd (Bursa Malaysia) has brought its flagship Bursa Marketplace Fair 2024 (Marketplace Fair) to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah over the weekend as it sees a sizable untapped potential investor base here.
The Marketplace Fair is part of Bursa Malaysia’s ongoing efforts to promote financial literacy with knowledge in investing opportunities in various asset types offered on Bursa Malaysia, such as stocks, exchange traded funds, structured warrants, derivatives, and even gold.
“We have brought the Bursa Marketplace Fair to Sabah this year, particularly due to this statistic. Despite Sabah’s population of over 3 million, only about 50,000 adults, or only 1.5 per cent of the population, have opened Central Depository System (CDS) accounts – to access investment opportunities in securities on the exchange.
“This signals a significant perhaps lack of familiarity for Sabahans with the investment opportunities the exchange provides.
“We are here to help you kick start or diversify your strategies for investing for the future,” said Bursa Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Muhamad Umar Swift, in his welcoming speech.
The investment fair themed, ‘Invest Today, Harvest Tomorrow’ caters to investors of all levels, offering curated talks and activities to provide visitors with essential information towards effective financial planning and wealth creation.
In addition to capital marketrelated talks and engagements, there were over 10 booths including by the Securities Commission Malaysia, and several participating brokers.
The event featured presentations from two public listed companies — Keyfield International Bhd and Optimax Holdings Bhd, who shared their corporate insights and growth plans.
“Through Bursa Malaysia’s multi-pronged educative programmes, such as the Marketplace Fair, we hope to enhance financial literacy in East Malaysia and in Peninsular Malaysia.
“We are deeply committed to increasing understanding and participation in early stock investing, as well as tailoring our offerings to better meet the diverse needs of retail investors.
“Last month, we published our most recent Malaysian Retail Investor Insights Paper, which provides useful information for the industry.
“We believe the retail investor segment will continue to play a significant role in enhancing market liquidity,” Swift added.
The hosting of Bursa Marketplace Fair 2024 in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, marks the first time the event is held in East Malaysia. It is also the third physical Marketplace Fair held outside Kuala Lumpur, following previous editions in Penang (2019) and Johor Bahru (2023).