Malaysia’s economic indicators have shown significant improvement, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, dismissing Opposition claims that investor confidence has declined due to policy uncertainties and inconsistencies.
Speaking during the Prime Minister’s Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday (Feb 13), Anwar, who also serves as Finance Minister, highlighted that Bursa Malaysia has experienced minimal fund outflows compared to regional peers like Thailand and Indonesia, particularly following the Trump-led U.S. administration.
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Speaking during the Prime Minister’s Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday (Feb 13), Anwar, who also serves as Finance Minister, highlighted that Bursa Malaysia has experienced minimal fund outflows compared to regional peers like Thailand and Indonesia, particularly following the Trump-led U.S. administration.
Read more at https://tinyurl.com/mrxrkje6
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NewsTranscript
00:00Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
00:02As Mr. Speaker has said,
00:06what is the reason for foreign investors to sell their shares in the country
00:13in the recent times?
00:19Their shares, their money is missing.
00:23Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
00:27First, the issue of shares is only a part of the income of funds and investments.
00:34We have to understand that.
00:36And with the change of administration in the US,
00:41there is indeed a very small output,
00:470.2%.
00:500.2% of the total share capital,
00:56worth Rp 2 trillion.
00:59That is, Malaysia minus Rp 9.53 trillion.
01:04Thailand is about four times larger than Malaysia,
01:08Rp 4,132 million.
01:11Indonesia, double, twice larger,
01:15Rp 1,154 million.
01:19And I have to remind,
01:22we have to look at the whole picture.
01:25That is,
01:27the statement that in the first nine months,
01:31KDNK is still winning.
01:35The value of investment also in the first nine months of 2024
01:41increased by 10.7%.
01:46Compared to the same time in 2023.
01:50This is a big increase.
01:52And this also includes large companies.
01:55I mentioned Infineon, Geely, Amazon, Microsoft.
02:00And this gives an image of confidence.
02:05And foreign touch.
02:08When we give a lot of money out,
02:11as if it is a gift of foreign confidence.
02:14Look at the figure.
02:17It remains at 19%.
02:20In 2023, it was 19.5%.
02:26In 2024,
02:28at the end of 2024, it dropped to 19.7%.
02:32That is, the touch.
02:3519.7%.
02:37Sorry.
02:38In January 2025, it was still 19.4%.
02:42So, the 0.2% does not represent confidence in the country's economy.
02:52And if we look at global equity,
02:55investment firms,
02:57Nomura Global Market Research, JPMorgan, HBC,
03:00have increased their valuation for public companies' shares.
03:05Let's look at the existing companies.
03:08The existing companies.
03:11If we look at the end of February 2025,
03:16it did drop 2.4% in Malaysia.
03:226.1% in Indonesia.
03:297.4% in the Philippines.
03:338.3% in Thailand.
03:36These are the effects all over the world.
03:39But companies,
03:42both financial institutions and companies,
03:46are still making big profits.
03:49Maybank,
03:50an increase of 9.7%.
03:54CIMB, 12.3%.
03:58Public Bank, 5.8%.
04:03So, what kind of dream is this?
04:10Where did it come from?
04:12Where did it come from?
04:140.2%
04:18dropped from 2 trillion ringgit.
04:22The term, falling and collapsing,
04:25is a misuse of language.
04:27That's what I understand.
04:30Okay, I'll pick up the mic.
04:32Thank you for your explanation.
04:36But I'm worried.
04:38There's a report from Bursa.
04:41It's not a movie.
04:43It shows that since you became the Prime Minister and Finance Minister,
04:47from 2023 until last year,
04:50the total net foreign outflow is very high.
04:54And this shows the level of confidence
04:57of foreign investors towards our Bursa market.
05:00What do you think is the cause of this clean outflow of foreign capital?
05:07Is it related to the perception that corruption has not changed?
05:11The DNDA was given just like that?
05:14And also the addendum that we think
05:16gives an effect on the stability of the country's politics.
05:21Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister.
05:22He didn't listen to my explanation.
05:25All economic indicators are increasing.
05:29They are recognized by all.
05:31Including the GDP.
05:34And I've mentioned these numbers.
05:37But they still maintain that 0.2%
05:43even though the fall is high in Thailand,
05:47the Philippines, and Indonesia.
05:50But 0.2% is the only number that causes a loss of confidence.
05:56It's okay. That's just my opinion.
05:58That's why Macang has not progressed.
06:01But if we look at the numbers...
06:05Mr. President, please pull back.
06:07Macang has not progressed.
06:08Let Macang...
06:11I wasn't an alipari before this, Mr. President.
06:14Let PM answer first.
06:17I will study...
06:18The former president of Macang.
06:20I will study the needs of Macang
06:25so that Macang can develop a little more.
06:28For the bond market,
06:31the bond market is developing.
06:33That's why I said this is a selective market
06:38that wants to show a decline
06:41even though it's not relative to other countries.
06:44But if we look at the bond market,
06:47the clean flow is positive.
06:49As of this year, the clean flow of bonds from foreign investors
06:54is Rp 1.55 billion.
06:57If they don't believe it,
06:59people won't invest Rp 1.55 billion in this system.
07:04But what's more important to me
07:07is the growth rate,
07:10investment growth,
07:12and RMB strength.
07:15This is a fundamental indicator
07:18even though it's a global problem.
07:21Especially with the recent Trump's decision
07:25that affects Europe, Canada, Mexico, China,
07:30Latin America, and Africa.
07:32The whole country.
07:33Will it last?
07:35We're not sure yet.
07:37But to use this to support foreign investors,
07:42I don't think it's healthy.