Closing Remarks at the MY Value Up Programme – Engagement with Company Secretary and Investor Relation Function

Speaker: Dato’ Mohammad Faiz Azmi, Chairman, Securities Commission Malaysia

Location: Securities Commission Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
Delivered: 1 September 2026

MY Value Up programme participants,
SC management and staff,
Bursa Malaysia representatives,
Ladies and gentlemen.

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh and good morning.

As we bring this engagement to a close, let me begin with a simple assertion: the value of today lies in what you do next.
When we launched MY Value Up in April 2026, I highlighted that the SC and Bursa Malaysia must engage closely with market stakeholders. Today’s session is an important step in that direction and part of our continuing dialogue with the underlying ecosystem that will be instrumental in giving momentum to this programme.
The focus on Company Secretaries and Investor Relations teams is deliberate. You are the people who sit closest to boards, management teams, investors and the market narrative. In your roles, you translate ambition into transparency, strategy into confidence, and governance into credibility.
That was why we began the morning focused on the strategic role you will play in advancing value creation.
Following this, we shared our regulatory expectations surrounding corporate disclosure and investor engagement.
Taken together, these viewpoints lead to a key takeaway. Creating long-term corporate value is not just a matter for the boardroom or achievable through compliance alone. It requires strategy, governance and communication working in tandem, supported by professionals comfortable with connecting C-suites, boards, investors and the capital market.
I also hope this session has been useful in clarifying the mechanics of MY Value Up as well as sharpened our collective sense of why this matters for Corporate Malaysia.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Allow me to recap the importance of MY Value Up. It is not a branding exercise or a disclosure template. It is a market-wide call for boards and management teams to take greater ownership of long-term value creation and communicate their corporate story better. This is because over the last ten years, Equity markets have only grown an average of 2.3% which is very low.
We are not short of good companies. Many of our PLCs are profitable, resilient and well-governed. However, stability alone is no longer enough. Capital is increasingly selective. Investors are not only asking what a company has delivered. They are asking where it is going, what trade-offs are being made, and whether the board can see the path ahead. And looking forward, as a climate vulnerable part of the world, companies and countries will be asked just how climate resilient you are.
That is why MY Value Up aims for substance. The objective is to shift companies from reporting numbers to explaining value, from preserving capital to strategic capital deployment, and from compliance-driven disclosure to credible and pro-active investor engagement.
As a key initiative under the Capital Market Masterplan 2026-2030, the approach is intentionally measured and voluntary. If we over-prescribe, we risk encouraging compliance while missing the purpose. That purpose is ownership – for boards, management and the market to own value creation.
Concurrently, transparency will provide the market discipline. In other words, companies that articulate credible plans will gain visibility and trust.
The feedback thus far is encouraging. I am pleased to note that many PLCs recognise the value of this agenda and are bringing the conversation into their management and board meetings. At the same time, we also recognise the concerns surrounding forward-looking targets, market volatility, duplication with existing reporting and commercially sensitive information.
Our message is straightforward. Do not treat MY Value Up as another reporting burden. If the market does not understand your corporate strategy, your capital allocation priorities or your growth pathway, then the market will price that uncertainty. It is better for companies to lead the conversation than to allow the market to fill the gaps.
For cash-rich companies, this means explaining how capital will be deployed; whether through reinvestment, innovation, expansion, strategic partnerships, acquisitions, shareholder returns or balance sheet resilience. Holding capital can be prudent. But holding capital without a clear strategic intent will raise questions about ambition, efficiency and long-term value creation. It is clear that Boards need to understand some basics of Corporate Finance in order to manage stakeholders.
For PLCs with strong fundamentals but compressed valuations, this means helping investors see beyond historical performance. It means explaining the three- to five-year roadmaps, the value drivers, the risks, the trade-offs and the governance to support execution. Companies that do this well are better positioned to attract capital.
Another perspective I would leave with you is that governance too must evolve. In the past, governance was often seen primarily as a shield or a way to prevent failure. It must instead be considered an engine of performance; to support strategic considerations, enhance accountability and further deepen investor trust. The forthcoming revisions to the Malaysian Code on Corporate Governance will be part of this broader shift.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The SC and Bursa Malaysia can provide the framework, enhance the ecosystem and drive investor interest. But ultimately, the credibility of MY Value Up will depend on how our companies translate it into action. The market will not be persuaded by templated statements. Rather, it will be more responsive to credible plans, measurable progress, disciplined execution and honest engagement.
So, my challenge to you is to help your boards give substance to MY Value Up. To move beyond disclosure to building conviction. Lastly, help the market understand not only what your company is today, but what it can become.
On that note, thank you for your presence, engagement and continued support. The work ahead will demand rigour, discipline and persistence but I truly believe it is an endeavour worth pursuing.

Thank you once again.