Bursa Malaysia brings flagship investment fair to Sabah

KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia Bhd will be hosting its flagship Bursa Marketplace Fair 2024 in Kota Kinabalu on May 11-12, 2024, marking the first event held in Sabah and Sarawak.

The Marketplace Fair, which will be officiated by Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, is part of Bursa Malaysia’s ongoing efforts to promote financial literacy with knowledge in investing opportunities in various asset types offered on the exchange such as stocks, exchange traded funds, structured warrants, derivatives, and even gold.

With the theme ‘Invest Today, Harvest Tomorrow’, the event caters to investors of all levels, offering curated talks and engagements to provide visitors with essential information towards effective financial planning and wealth creation.

The fair will also feature over 10 booths including by the Securities Commission Malaysia and several participating brokers, with fun activities and games.

Additionally, two public-listed companies — Keyfield International Bhd and Optimax Holdings Bhd, will conduct presentations to share their corporate insights and growth plans.

Bursa Malaysia said in a statement: “Although Sabah, the third most populous state in Malaysia, has over three million people, only about 30,000 adults (just about one per cent of the population) have opened a Central Depository System (CDS) accounts to take advantage of investment opportunities in securities offered by the exchange.

“This indicates a sizeable untapped potential investor base for Bursa Malaysia, but more importantly, the need for many more Sabahans to kick-start or diversify their investing avenues.”

Meanwhile, Bursa Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Muhamad Umar Swift said through Bursa Malaysia’s multi-pronged educative programmes such as the Marketplace Fair, the exchange hoped that the event would enhance the financial literacy of Malaysians.

“Last month, we published our Malaysian Retail Investor Insights Paper, which provides useful information for the industry. We believe the retail investor segment will continue to play a significant role in enhancing market liquidity,” he said.

The Marketplace Fair, to be held at Suria Sabah Shopping Mall, is the third physical event to be held outside Kuala Lumpur, following previous editions in Penang (2019) and Johor Bahru (2023). This upcoming fair is expected to draw over 2,000 attendees.

This event is free and open to the public, with giveaway prizes awaiting visitors.

Registration is available both online and on-site at the fair.

Visit https://www.bursamarketplace.com/bursa-marketplace-fair/ for more information about the Bursa Marketplace Fair 2024. – BK