The announcement was made by YB Tengku Dato’ Sri Zafrul Aziz, Finance Minister of Malaysia, at the 16th Invest Malaysia, held virtually for the first time since its inception in 2004.

The SC, working in tandem with Bursa Malaysia, will enable a facilitative market structure, allowing for more flexible business models with greater efficient capital structure through the separation of trading and clearing memberships on the exchange.

SC Chairman Datuk Syed Zaid Albar said that the Covid-19 pandemic has forced governments, regulators and industry players alike to reflect on the current landscape and systems, so that we can rebuild for a more resilient, sustainable and inclusive future.

“The Malaysian investor population has grown to be a lot more diverse, and technological advancements have changed the way investors interact with the capital market. It is important that our industry also evolves to meet the diverse needs of investors. These can be in the form of digital-only brokers that can cater to investors looking for no-frills services, or for example, algorithmic trading platforms or multi-asset brokers for more sophisticated investors,” said Syed Zaid Albar.