Malaysian Rating Corporation Berhad

11/25/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/25/2021 01:09

MARC360: Sustainable Infra 2021 Virtual Conference commences — Capital market update and challenges post-covid-19

Posted Date: November 25, 2021

The MARC360: Sustainable Infra 2021 Virtual Conference kicked off this morning and was officiated by Senior Minister of Works, Yang Berhormat Dato' Sri Haji Fadillah Bin Haji Yusof. This virtual conference, which focuses on sustainable infrastructure issues and trends, is held over two half-days on November 25-26, 2021.

MARC's Group Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Jamaludin Nasir, delivered the welcoming remarks. In his speech, he pointed out that sustainable infrastructure is showing its worth as a more efficient, productive, and environmentally friendly option for nation building. He further argued that infrastructure developments that place emphasis on sustainability have also proven to be more profitable in the long run.

As such, he called for the close alignment and collaboration among industry players, including practitioners, financiers, and investors, to ensure the successful delivery of sustainable infrastructure.

Day 1 of the virtual conference opened with a Special Presentation by MARC's Chief Economist, Firdaos Rosli. In delivering the economic report and capital market update for 2021, he remarked that a decent rebound in the Malaysian economy is expected in 4Q2021, following the gradual resumption of economic activity in tandem with the rapid vaccination progress.

This, he said, is attributed to the revival in consumer confidence amid pent-up demand which would translate into stronger private spending.

Based on his analysis, Firdaos highlighted that MARC is forecasting a 3.3% GDP growth for Malaysia in 2021.

The second session for the day was a panel discussion on the challenges faced by the Malaysian infrastructure sector post-COVID-19. The panellists featured in this session included: