KUALA LUMPUR (March 6): Asean should mobilise its immense pool of regional funds to meet the bloc’s investment needs and in the process create corporate champions, Bank Negara Malaysia governor Datuk Seri Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour said. He said Asean has significant financial resources from pension funds to the tune of US$4.4 trillion (RM17.3 trillion) and insurance institutions ofUS$5.1 trillion that could be utilised to support regional development. “But why can't this be channelled to be used within Asean, in terms of creating corporate champions, regional champions (and) addressing the investment needs of Asean itself,” he said. Dong He also spoke of the crucial importance of the role of digitalisation in strengthening regional financial integration. A common trading platform for such assets could increase the scale of trading activity and deepen liquidity in Asean capital markets, he said.

Source: The Edge Markets March 06, 2026 13:20 UTC