KUALA LUMPUR: A collaborative approach to obtaining ideas and gaining a broader perspective on the issues at hand is crucial for the country to navigate through headwinds within the capital market, says Datuk Seri Awang Adek Hussin.
The chairman of the Securities Commission (SC) acknowledged that, while the Malaysian capital market has done extremely well in the past, it is now facing strong headwinds and many challenges to overcome.
“Malaysia needs more cross-pollination of ideas, so that we can look at problems from an interdisciplinary, systems perspective and come up with solutions relevant for the country,” he said in his keynote address at the inaugural industry-university talent bridging conference hosted by Institute for Capital Market Research (ICMR) in collaboration with the Securities Industry Development Corp (SIDC).
He added that collaboration between investors, industry players, academia, and the government is crucial so that the country can "punch higher than the sum of its individual weights" and reshape markets for the betterment of all.
Themed “Reshaping Markets and Finance: Thought Leadership, Technology, and Talent as Levers of Change”, the forum aimed to facilitate knowledge transfer through the deliberation of new ideas and perspectives, as well as enable the sharing of data and academic research on how Malaysia can propel its capital market during an unprecedented age of transformation.
This includes a particular focus on talent as a critical lever for greater capital market development.
Meanwhile, ICMR chairman Tan Sri Munir Majid believes that the current market dynamics, with higher inflation and heightened uncertainty, demands a fundamental shift in how capital markets serve the real economy and society.
“With our inaugural conference, ICMR hopes to establish deeper research links and foster greater collaboration between government, businesses, and universities to generate critical new insights and chart the way forward for Malaysia, together”, he noted in a statement.
The forum attracted more than 300 guests comprising industry captains, regulators, policymakers, and academics, serving as a platform to drive greater interdisciplinary discourse and collaboration.
Featuring global and regional thought leaders in key emerging areas, panel sessions at the conference explored the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly evolving financial landscape and examined how the role of markets can be redefined to better serve the economy and society.
It also evaluated the impact of new technologies like artificial intelligence, as well as delved into ensuring a future-ready workforce to meet evolving needs.
