KUALA LUMPUR (March 31): Bursa Malaysia Bhd has successfully implemented the ISO 20022 messaging standard for corporate announcements by public listed companies (PLCs) to expedite the global dissemination of these updates to the stock exchange operator and regulator’s stakeholders.

In a statement today, Bursa said the ISO 20022 is an international standard accepted and adopted around the world.

"The adoption and implementation of ISO 20022 by Bursa Malaysia will be in phases with PLCs’ corporate announcements as the first key area of prioritisation, which was successfully completed on March 9,” Bursa said.

Bursa chief executive officer Datuk Muhamad Umar Swift said in the statement that the adoption of ISO 20022 has significant benefits for individual firms and the capital market as a whole. 

"For the exchange, the enhanced data- carrying capability of ISO 20022 messages will act as an enabler to deliver more innovative and competitive services to our stakeholders. Applying global best practice in messaging standards will also place us on par with other developed exchanges,” Muhamad Umar said.

According to Bursa’s statement, the Singapore, Indonesia, Australia and Japan bourses have already implemented ISO 20022.

In Malaysia today, Bursa’s share price rose five sen or 1% at 3:36pm to RM5.05 for a market capitalisation of RM4.08 billion. The stock saw 1.4 million shares traded.