MARC Malaysian Bond and Sukuk Conference 2021 kicks off; focus on continued growth and innovation of Malaysian Capital Market

The MARC MALAYSIA BOND & SUKUK CONFERENCE 2021 commenced this morning. The conference, which will be held over three half days from May 19 to May 21, 2021, will comprise a diverse mix of representatives from Malaysia’s debt capital market. It presents a key opportunity for all stakeholders to have a lengthy discourse on critical and market-relevant issues and solutions.   

MARC’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Jamaludin Nasir, delivered the welcoming remarks in which he reiterated Malaysia’s position as the world’s largest sukuk market, with YTD total outstanding sukuk issued domestically amounting to US$286.8 billion or an equivalent of 39.6% of total global outstanding. He further commented: “We hope the MARC MALAYSIAN BOND AND SUKUK CONFERENCE 2021 will serve as a platform for finance professionals to gather and exchange ideas to ensure the continued growth and sustainability of the Malaysian capital market.”

The conference was officiated by Datuk Syed Zaid Albar, Executive Chairman of the Securities Commission Malaysia. In his speech, he highlighted three areas that Malaysia’s capital market can focus on to aid the country’s economic recovery. The segments mentioned were sustainable and responsible investment (SRI), technology and innovation, as well as broader opportunities for SMEs and other underserved sectors.

The conference kicked off with an economic report and outlook for 2021 presented by Firdaos Rosli, Head of Economic Research for MARC. Firdaos commented that although Malaysia’s economic recovery was deemed to be in the nascent stages, he noted that the Malaysian government has breached the statutory debt ceiling of 60% as at 1Q2021. He projected that the government will announce another round of fiscal stimulus following MCO 3.0.

This was followed by a review of how the Malaysian bond market is experiencing improved foreign demand in 2021 YTD. The general consensus was the domestic market demands greater predictability amid the global uneven recovery. The review panel comprised:

• Mohamed Nazri Omar, Chief Executive Officer, Danajamin Nasional Berhad
• Christian de Guzman, Senior Vice President, Sovereign Risk Group, Moody's Investors Service
• Delvin Chong, Senior Vice President, Treasury & Markets, Cagamas Berhad.

The second day will open with a presentation by Mr. John Sidoli, Research and Compliance, SINEGY on the integration of the bond and sukuk market with fintech, as well as the associated opportunities and challenges currently faced by practitioners. This will be followed by a dialogue on sukuk, encompassing emerging sukuk trends, regulatory challenges and the sustained demand for sukuk. Participating in this dialogue are:

• Datuk Dr. Mohd Daud Bakar, Founder and Executive Chairman, Amanie Group
• Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid, Chief Economist, Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad
• Nitish Bhojnagarwala, Vice President, Senior Credit Officer, Financial Institutions Group, Moody's Investors Service.

The third and final day will commence with a discussion on factoring in environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) in investment decisions. The discussion will centre around the development of ESG policies, how investors are factoring ESG into investment decisions and the relevant benefits, as well as current best ESG practices. The line-up of panellists for this discussion will feature:

• Amarjit Chhina, Chief Corporate Officer, Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad
• Christian Fang, Vice President - Senior Analyst, Sovereign Risk Group, Moody's Investors Service
• Hildah Hamzah, Head, Business Banking Group II, Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Berhad.

The conference will close with a conversation on the collective aspirations for the domestic bond and sukuk market, which will include the challenges that lie ahead and the way forward to drive the domestic capital market to greater heights. Participants in this conversation include:

• Meor Amri Meor Ayob, Chief Executive Officer/ Executive Director, Bond Pricing Agency Malaysia
• Raja Amir Shah Raja Azwa, Head, Debt Capital Markets, Global Banking, HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad
• Chong Fook Jade, Senior Vice President, Global Banking & Markets China Construction Bank (Malaysia) Berhad
• Nor Masliza Sulaiman, Senior Managing Director & Regional Head, Capital Markets, CIMB Investment Bank Berhad.

Contacts:

Lalitha Sivanesan, lalitha@marc.com.my; 
Nurfarain Mohd Dom, farah@marc.com.my

© Press Release 2021