INVEST Fair 2026 closed on July 19 after drawing a record 15,000 visitors over two days to the Mid Valley Exhibition Centre in Kuala Lumpur. Organisers called it the largest edition in the event’s history and the biggest retail investment fair in Malaysia.
The programme ran to more than 70 hours of talks, panels and interactive sessions, with over 100 speakers and 40 exhibitors. Topics covered capital markets, stock investing, wealth management, personal finance and financial technology. Sessions were held in English, Bahasa Malaysia and Mandarin, and many drew full audiences.
A Bursa chief on new accounts
Bursa Malaysia chief executive Dato’ Fad’l Mohamed opened the fair. He said more than 325,000 new retail CDS accounts had been opened as of mid-June this year. “It is encouraging to see more Malaysians taking that step,” he said, referring to the move from saving to investing. He added that as participation grows, investors need “trusted information, practical knowledge and the confidence to navigate the market.”
The theme was “Money. Finance. Technology.” Speakers looked at how AI is used in investment research, portfolio analysis and stock screening. Organisers said many sessions stressed using such tools responsibly and understanding their limits.
Christopher Lee, chief executive of AlphaInvest Holdings, the parent company of ShareInvestor Malaysia, said sophisticated tools are no longer limited to institutions. “With more data comes more noise,” he said, and successful investors will be those who know how to interpret information.
Scams, debt and the capital market plan
A fireside chat titled “Mapping Malaysia’s Investment Future” featured Stephanie Tan, director of group commercial and market coverage at Bursa Malaysia. Dr Wong Chin Yoong, an economics professor at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, moderated. They discussed Bursa Malaysia’s part in the Capital Market Masterplan 2026-2030.
On the second day the sessions turned to a shaky global economy. Kenny Yee of Rakuten Trade spoke on “A Deadly Love Triangle: Debt, Rates and Currency Shifts.” Nicholas Soon, managing director and CEO of UOB Kay Hian Wealth Advisors, gave a talk on spotting scams before they spot you.
New this year
Duit Fest made its debut, with a focus on practical money management, budgeting and financial wellness. A Career Partner Area linked visitors with jobs in financial services. There was also a Pickleball Bull League, a Golden Ball Pit Challenge and a Kick & Win Challenge.
Competitions and lucky draws handed out cash prizes and rewards worth up to RM100,000 over the two days.
