HKEX Recognises Bursa Malaysia, Enabling Pathway for Secondary Listings in Hong Kong
Key Takeaways
- •Bursa Malaysia-listed companies can now seek secondary listings in Hong Kong under HKEX’s applicable listing requirements.
- •The recognition does not provide automatic listing approval for Malaysian issuers.
- •Bursa Malaysia is the fourth South-East Asian exchange on HKEX’s recognised list, alongside exchanges in Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand.
- •The recognition follows memoranda of understanding involving HKEX, Bursa Malaysia, Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission and the Securities Commission Malaysia.
- •HKEX and Bursa Malaysia said the move could expand access to international investors and new capital sources for Malaysian listed companies.
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing said last week that it has added Bursa Malaysia to its list of Recognised Stock Exchanges, enabling companies with a primary listing on the Malaysian bourse to apply for a secondary listing in Hong Kong.
The recognition does not amount to an automatic listing approval, but it gives eligible Bursa Malaysia-listed issuers a formal route to seek a secondary listing under Hong Kong’s listing framework, subject to the exchange’s applicable requirements.
The addition brings the number of Recognised Stock Exchanges in South-East Asia to four. Bursa Malaysia joins the Indonesia Stock Exchange, the Singapore Exchange and the Stock Exchange of Thailand on the Hong Kong operator’s recognised list for the region.
Bursa Malaysia is now the 21st exchange across 19 countries to receive recognition from HKEX.
The recognition was announced by The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong and follows a memorandum of understanding signed earlier this year between HKEX and Bursa Malaysia Berhad. It also coincided with a separate memorandum between Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission and the Securities Commission Malaysia aimed at expanding mutual market access.
The move fits into a broader push by Asian market operators and regulators to deepen cross-border capital market links, giving issuers more options to reach international investors while allowing exchanges to broaden their pipeline of potential listings.
“We warmly welcome Bursa Malaysia to HKEX’s list of Recognised Stock Exchanges,” HKEX Chief Executive Officer Bonnie Y Chan said. “This recognition reinforces the shared commitment between HKEX and Bursa Malaysia to enhancing regional connectivity and expanding access to capital across Asia.”
Bursa Malaysia Chief Executive Officer Dato’ Fad’l Mohamed said the status “creates new opportunities for Malaysian listed companies to broaden their international investor reach and access new sources of capital through a secondary listing in Hong Kong.”
He added that the recognition reflected confidence in Malaysia’s regulatory standards, market infrastructure and governance framework.