Corporate History

YEAR KEY CORPORATE MILESTONES
1930
  • First formal securities business organisation established in Malaysia - the Singapore Stockbrokers' Association.
1937
  • Re-registered as the Malayan Stockbrokers' Association.
1960
  • The Malayan Stock Exchange was established and the public trading of shares commenced. The board system had trading rooms in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, linked by direct telephone lines.
1964
  • The Stock Exchange of Malaysia was established.
1965
  • The Stock Exchange of Malaysia became the Stock Exchange of Malaysia and Singapore, with the secession of Singapore from Malaysia in 1965.
1973
  • The Stock Exchange of Malaysia and Singapore was divided into the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Berhad and the Stock Exchange of Singapore with the cessation of currency interchangeability between Malaysia and Singapore.
1976
  • The Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange was incorporated as a company limited by guarantee and took over the operations of the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Berhad in the same year.
1980
  • Crude Palm Oil Futures contract (FCPO) was launched to provide market participants with what has become a global price benchmark for the Crude Palm Oil; for traders in the physical edible oil industries, biodiesel energy and commodity futures trading markets.
1986
  • KLSE Composite Index was launched.
1988
  • Second Board of the KLSE was launched to enable smaller companies which are viable and have strong growth potential to be listed.
1989
  • Implementation of SCORE (System on Computerised Order Routing and Execution) to replace the open outcry system.
1990
  • Malaysian Central Depository Sdn Bhd was set up to implement and operate the Central Depository System (CDS) following the introduction of the Fixed Delivery & Settlement System (FDSS) for more efficient clearing and settlement system.
1994
  • The Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange was renamed 'Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange'.
1997
  • The Shariah-compliant securities list was introduced in June by the Shariah Advisory Council (SAC) of the Securities Commission of Malaysia (SC). Shariah-compliant securities are securities which are screened against a clear set of guiding principles.
1999
  • Kuala Lumpur Shariah Index (KLSI) was launched in April to meet the demands from investors seeking Shariah-compliant investments. It acts as a benchmark for tracking the performance of Shariah-compliant securities.
2002
  • Launch of the MESDAQ market at KLSE.
2004
  • Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange changed its name to Bursa Malaysia Berhad, following a demutualisation exercise, the purpose of which was to enhance competitive position and to respond to global trends in the exchange sector by making the Exchange more customer-driven and market-oriented.
2005
  • On 18 March 2005, Bursa Malaysia was listed on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad.
2007
  • FTSE Bursa Malaysia Emas Shariah Index (FBM Emas Shariah) was launched in January. FBM Emas Shariah became the benchmark index for Malaysian Shariah-compliant investments after KLSI was deactivated on November 2007.
  • FTSE Bursa Malaysia Hijrah Shariah Index (FBM Hijrah Shariah) was launched in May. FBM Hijrah Shariah is designed to be used as a basis of Shariah-compliant investment products that meet the screening requirements of international Islamic investors.
2008
  • Bursa Trade Securities, a new trading platform for the securities market was launched. This platform provides greater accessibility for both local and institutional investors while also enhancing trading efficiency and transparency in the market.
2009
  • A new board structure comprising the Main and ACE Markets was officially implemented. Essentially the Main and Second Boards were merged to form the Main Market, while the MESDAQ Market was revamped into an alternative market known as ACE Market (Access, Certainty and Efficiency).
  • Bursa Malaysia Berhad enters into a strategic partnership with Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) with the view to improve accessibility to its derivatives offerings globally. CME holds 25% equity stake in Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Berhad, while the remaining 75% interest is held by Bursa Malaysia Berhad.
  • Bursa Suq Al-Sila’, a Shari’ah-based electronic commodity trading platform was launched. This platform, the world’s first end-to-end Shari’ah-compliant commodity trading platform was designed to facilitate commodity-based Islamic financing and investment transactions under the Shari’ah principles of Murabahah, Tawarruq and Musawwamah.
  • Bursa’s benchmark index, the KLCI, was raised to a new level with the adoption of the FTSE international index methodology. The enhanced KLCI, now known as the FBM KLCI, is based on globally accepted standards of tradability and investability of the constituents, as well as transparency of the methodology.
2010
  • Bursa’s inaugural Business Sustainability Programme was officiated, in line with Bursa Malaysia’s call to Malaysian listed companies to integrate sustainability elements into their business strategies. This Programme consists of a guide on sustainability for directors, a knowledge portal, a project matching facility and thought leadership sessions.
2011
  • ASEAN Exchanges, a collaboration among Bursa Malaysia, Hanoi Stock Exchange, Hochiminh Stock Exchange, Indonesia Stock Exchange, The Philippine Stock Exchange Inc, Singapore Exchange and The Stock Exchange of Thailand was launched with a mission to establish an interlinked ASEAN capital market via greater cross-border investments, mobilisation of intra-ASEAN funds and trading of equity markets. The alliance saw the launch of the ASEAN Brand Identity, ASEAN Exchanges website and ASEAN Stars with the intent to promote the growth of the ASEAN capital market and spur higher liquidity in the region.
2012
  • ASEAN Trading Link was launched in September, connecting Bursa Malaysia and Singapore Exchange, and was later joined by The Stock Exchange of Thailand in October.
  • The FTSE Group and Bursa Malaysia launched the “FTSE Bursa Malaysia Small Cap Shariah Index” to serve as a benchmark for Shari’ah-compliant investments in small-cap companies on the Malaysian stock market.
2013
  • The launch of the Exchange Traded Bond and Sukuk (ETBS) with the maiden issuance by DanaInfra Nasional Berhad on the Exchange marked a historic milestone for the Malaysian capital market, effectively creating a new asset class on the Exchange to cement Malaysia as the world’s leading sukuk marketplace.
2014
  • BURSAMKTPLC (spoken name: ‘Bursa Marketplace’), a first-of-its-kind virtual marketplace was launched to provide investors with unique user access to rich market information, insights and trading ideas with the aim of growing their financial literacy.
  • Bursa Malaysia becomes the first emerging market exchange to introduce the globally benchmarked Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Index – FTSE4GOOD Bursa Malaysia (F4GBM) which measures the performance of companies demonstrating strong ESG practices.
2015
  • Bursa Malaysia Berhad signs the Sustainable Stock Exchanges’ (“SSE”) voluntary commitment to promote sustainability performance and transparency in Capital Markets. The support for SSE’s sustainability initiative underscores the national Exchange’s commitment to remain one of the world’s most competitive markets by integrating global best practices in the local marketplace.
  • The new Sustainability Reporting Framework was introduced, comprising amendments to the listing requirements requiring Listed Issuers to issue a Sustainability Statement in their annual report.
2016
  • FTSE4Good ASEAN 5 Index, an ESG index developed in collaboration with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Exchanges was launched. This new benchmark consisted of companies listed on the five ASEAN exchanges from Developed and Emerging markets: Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand.
  • Bursa Malaysia joins 34 Exchanges worldwide to Ring the Bell for gender equality. These thirty‐four exchanges join the Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) Initiative, UN Global Compact, IFC, UN Women, Women in ETFs and the World Federation of Stock Exchanges to “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality,” and highlight the business case for women’s economic empowerment, as well as opportunities for the private sector to advance gender equality and sustainable development.
  • Bursa Malaysia-i, the world’s first end-to-end Shariah investing platform was launched offering investors the choice to invest and trade Shariah-compliant products via a Shariah-compliant platform.
2017
  • The Leading Entrepreneur Accelerator Platform (LEAP) Market, an alternative platform for SMEs to raise capital and the first of its kind in ASEAN was launched.
  • The Mid and Small Cap (MidS) Research Scheme was launched to elevate the profile of mid- and small cap companies and further spur the vibrancy of the segment by way of increasing interest in their trading.
  • The Islamic Securities Selling and Buying Negotiated Transaction (ISSBNT) framework, the world’s first Shariah-compliant alternative to Securities Borrowing and Lending was launched. ISSBNT was developed to enable hedging and risk management activities by institutional capital market participants who manage sizeable Islamic funds.