M'SIA ON FTSE'S WATCH LIST FOR ADVANCED EMERGING STATUS

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 18 (Bernama) -- Index provider FTSE had added Malaysia on
the Watch List for its FTSE Global Equity Index Series: Advanced Emerging, said
Malaysia Exchange.

Adding a market to the Watch List is the first signal to the international
investment community that FTSE is considering a change of status for a market
within its indices, the local exchange operator said in a statement Friday.

Malaysia will be on the Watch List for the next one year to enable the index
provider to review the market against FTSE's quality of markets criteria for
Advanced Emerging status.

Malaysia is currently a Secondary Emerging market.

Malaysia Exchange chief executive officer, Yusli Mohamed Yusoff said the
exchange together with key capital market stakeholders had, for many years,
taken concerted joint efforts to build towards an efficient, liberal and liquid
capital market.

"Over the years, we have tirelessly engaged with the international investor
community, rating agencies and index providers such as FTSE on our efforts to
improve our capital market," he said.

The good news is certainly a positive incentive for Malaysia Exchange
accelerate the capital market development initiatives in order to attain the
Advanced Emerging status within the next 12 months, Yusli said.

-- BERNAMA