By Yasmin Ramlan
SHAH ALAM, Feb 13 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dismissed concerns over foreign investors selling Malaysian stock, emphasising that the 0.2 per cent decline from RM2 trillion is minor and not a sign of loss of confidence.
He clarified that market declines are a global trend, while foreign shareholding in the nation remains stable at around 19 per cent, compared with larger outflows in neighbouring countries such as Thailand and Indonesia.
“Overall, the first nine months of 2024 have been encouraging. Investment value rose by 10.7 per cent from the same period in 2023 — a significant increase — with major companies like Geely, Amazon, Infineon, and Microsoft continuing to invest in Malaysia: an indication of investor confidence.
“As for foreign shareholding, some may claim fund withdrawals signal a loss of confidence. However, the numbers tell a different story; it has remained stable at around 19 per cent.
“In 2023, it stood at 19.5 per cent, rising to 19.7 per cent by the end of 2024, and as of January 2025, it remains at 19.4 per cent. A 0.2 per cent fluctuation does not reflect a decline in confidence in Malaysia’s economy,” he said during Prime Minister’s Question Time in Parliament today.
Earlier, Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal asked Anwar to explain the reasons behind foreign investors’ recent sell-offs of Malaysian stocks.
Anwar said despite market fluctuations, financial institutions and major corporations continue to record strong profits, with Maybank posting a 9.7 per cent increase, CIMB posting 12.3 per cent, and Public Bank, 5.8 per cent.
He added that global financial firms such as Nomura, JP Morgan, and HSBC have upgraded their recommendations for Malaysian stocks.
“What is the basis for this claim of a ‘sharp decline’? Where are these figures taken from? A 0.2 per cent drop from RM2 trillion does not indicate a downturn. The term ‘plummeting’ is misused in this context,” he said.
