GEORGE TOWN, Aug 19 — Malaysian companies planning initial public offerings (IPOs) will be able to pursue simultaneous listings in Malaysia and Hong Kong using a single set of submission documents starting next month.

Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) chairman Datuk Mohammad Faiz Azmi said the arrangement, which includes the mutual recognition of prospectuses, could provide companies with a more cost-efficient route to regional and global investors.

“If some of you are thinking about doing an IPO, you should be asking your advisers whether it’s tactical to also have some of those shares listed in Hong Kong at the same time,” Faiz said during his opening address at the “Powering SemiCons: Financing Your Next Breakthrough” event at G Hotel Gurney today.

Under the new framework, companies seeking simultaneous primary and secondary listings in both markets can utilise one set of submission documents. This includes a prospectus reviewed in Malaysia, removing the requirement for further documentation work in Hong Kong.

Faiz said the the agreement was significant as it represented Hong Kong’s tacit recognition of Malaysia’s capital-market regulations as comparable to its own.

The initiative is part of the SC’s Capital Market Masterplan 2026-2030, which aims to create regional opportunities for Malaysian firms.

Faiz said that some businesses have previously indicated that local investors may not fully understand their operations or are overly focused on immediate profitability over market share. Additionally, some companies viewed Bursa Malaysia as too small to provide sufficient international exposure.

“We are looking at very large numbers of non-listed companies in Malaysia, and we’re trying to target them by saying, wouldn’t it be interesting if your IPO was also in Hong Kong at the same time?” he added.

Addressing the semiconductor sector, Faiz stated that companies require financing tailored to their growth stages as they invest in intellectual property, commercialise technology, and expand globally.

He suggested that early-stage companies consider equity crowdfunding (ECF), peer-to-peer (P2P) financing, and venture capital, while established businesses may find the equity market, corporate bonds, and sukuk more appropriate.

The platform also aims to provide investors and capital-market intermediaries with better visibility into the capabilities and financing needs of the semiconductor ecosystem. Faiz noted that business-matching sessions would help participants understand the specific funding requirements of individual companies.

“The right investor can offer strategic guidance, stronger governance, industry networks and access to new customers and opportunities. This type of value-add can be even more important than the funding itself,” he said.

As an example of strategic support, Faiz cited the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 Strategic Co-Investment Fund (NIMP COSIF), which supports the semiconductor and electrical and electronics industries.

Under its proposed two-to-one co-investment structure, approximately 70 per cent of financing is provided by the government, with the remaining 30 per cent mobilised from private investors.

Faiz ended by saying that public-private collaboration through ECF and P2P platforms could help catalyse private investment for strategically important industries, reaffirming the SC's commitment to an inclusive and innovative capital market.