KUALA LUMPUR, 3 October 2025 – RAM Rating Services Berhad (RAM Ratings), in collaboration with the Credit Guarantee & Investment Facility (CGIF), successfully hosted its flagship RAM Forum 2025 on 3 October 2025. The event brought together over 250 policymakers, investors, financiers, and corporate leaders to discuss how Malaysia can build economic resilience and long-term competitiveness in an increasingly uncertain global landscape.
The Forum emphasized the importance of adaptability, cross-sector collaboration, and innovation in strengthening Malaysia’s financial stability and economic sustainability. With support from key banking institutions, the event reflected the industry’s shared commitment to advancing financial innovation and promoting inclusive growth.
Julie Ng, CEO of RAM Ratings, highlighted the Forum’s role in fostering open dialogue across industries. “The RAM Forum has become a platform for candid dialogue and exchange of ideas between the capital and financial market community, businesses, regulators and policymakers,” she said. “By engaging diverse stakeholders to discuss developing macro and market trends and evolving risks, we aim to uncover powerful insights to augment corporate and investment strategies to navigate today’s challenges and seize tomorrow’s opportunities.”
Echoing this sentiment, CGIF CEO Wang Hong Wei stressed that partnerships and collective action are critical for navigating today’s increasingly complex environment and enhancing regional financial resilience.
The Forum featured eight sessions focused on a wide range of macroeconomic and capital market topics. These included policymaking in times of global economic uncertainty, strategies for corporate resilience, and emerging financial trends such as Islamic and sustainable finance, decentralised finance, bond tokenisation, and data centre financing.
Although concerns over global tariffs have eased, challenges persist in the form of geopolitical tensions, shifting trade patterns, and a slowing global economy. The Forum’s first half explored how both governments and businesses can respond to these evolving challenges.
The opening Keynote Address, titled “Shifting Trade Ties and Navigating a New Economic Order”, was delivered by Tan Sri Datuk Dr Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria, Director of IDEAS and Pro-Chancellor of Sunway University. She stressed ASEAN’s role in shaping the new economic order and advocated for adaptation and regional cooperation instead of economic isolation. This was followed by an In Conversation session moderated by Prof Dr Ong Kian Ming, Adjunct Professor at Taylor’s University.
A panel discussion titled “Everything Everywhere All At Once” examined how fiscal policy, trade realignments, and capital flows are influencing Malaysia’s economic outlook. Panelists agreed that pragmatic policy measures, improved efficiency, and greater regional integration remain essential to sustaining resilience. Corporate agility also featured prominently, with Jacob Lee Chor Kok, Deputy President of the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers, noting that staying lean and investing in talent retention are key strategies for ensuring recovery readiness.
The Forum also delved into cutting-edge topics such as tokenised instruments, ESG integration, social finance, and digital infrastructure. There was a clear consensus that future market growth will depend on enhanced trust, digital transparency, and strong stakeholder collaboration.
Another key discussion point was the convergence of Shariah principles with sustainability frameworks, aiming to promote more ethical and inclusive financial systems. Dr Noor Suhaida Kasri, Senior Research Fellow at INCEIF University, explained how Maqasid al-Shariah provides a moral and ethical foundation for sustainable finance. Meanwhile, Maria Cristila Cabanting, Director at HSBC Securities Services, highlighted that tokenisation can improve transaction speed, enhance transparency, and expand accessibility within financial systems.
Participants from a wide range of organizations contributed to the Forum’s diverse perspectives, including representatives from AirTrunk Singapore Pte Ltd, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), Prudential BSN Takaful Berhad, Maybank, SMBC, HSBC Securities Services, and Dagang Nexchange Berhad, alongside RAM Ratings’ own research and analytics teams.
The RAM Forum 2025 reinforced RAM Ratings’ longstanding role in promoting thought leadership in macroeconomic research, risk analytics, and both sustainable and Islamic finance. Since its establishment in 1990, RAM has rated over USD 450 billion in bonds and sukuk, earning trust from investors and stakeholders across the region.
For more information, visit: www.ram.com.my