KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 2 — Foreign funds and buyers acquired US$2.36 billion (RM10.33 billion) of Malaysian equity last year, according to MIDF Amanah Investment Bank Bhd Research.

The US$2.36 billion inflow was also the highest among the four South-east Asian markets that MIDF Research tracked.

"This was the first annual net inflow recorded since the election year of 2013 and the biggest since 2012 which experienced an inflow of US$4.75 billion net,” it said in a report.

The foreign buying peaked on March 17, during which they acquired RM816.1 million worth of local shares.

Foreign investment also returned strongly in December when an expected US tax overhaul did not materialise.