In 2024, global financial markets experienced pockets of volatility due to uncertainty in the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy stance, persistent inflationary pressures, heightened geopolitical tensions and US presidential elections.
In 2024, the SC received 20 equity applications, 12 of which were for initial public offering (IPOs), which included two proposed secondary listings on the Main Market.
In 2024, the SC considered a total of 306 applications relating to CIS and PRS, comprising applications to establish new funds, register prospectuses and disclosure documents, register deeds and other ancillary matters.
The SC remains unwavering in its commitment in ensuring that only individuals and entities that meet fit and proper standards are granted licenses or registrations to operate within the capital markets.
The integrity of capital markets is paramount for fostering investor confidence and ensuring the stability of the financial system. In this context, the SC plays a critical role in monitoring the conduct of public-listed companies (PLCs), with the aim of ensuring compliance with securities laws and regulations, ultimately safeguarding investors’ interests.
In 2024, the SC observed a growing reliance on advancing technologies, such as blockchain, cloud, artificial intelligence (AI), and internet of things (IoT), to improve efficiency, automation and data-driven decisionmaking. While these technological advancements offer significant benefits, they also introduce new risks and challenges.
The SC reported a significant rise in the overall number of complaints and inquiries received in 2024 compared to previous years, indicating a consistent upward trend over the years.
The SC’s enforcement priorities were introduced in 2020 identifying disclosure breaches, securities fraud and unlicensed activities. Since then, the enforcement priorities have been reviewed on a yearly basis between 2020 to 2023 and, effective 2024, the SC developed the three-year enforcement priorities which introduced corporate misconduct as an additional enforcement priority, in response to the influx of breaches of such nature.
The Focused Scope Assessment (FSA) framework, launched in 2024, marks a significant advancement to enhance operational efficiency and meet the evolving standards of Malaysia’s capital markets.
