Budget 2026: Business entity status will create more Malaysia-based Asean champions, says Nazir Razak

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 11): Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s bold move to introduce the Asean Business Entity (ABE) status in Budget 2026 reflects his strong commitment to advancing regional integration and giving real substance to Malaysia being the “gateway to Asean”.

Tan Sri Nazir Razak, the chairman of the Asean Business Advisory Council (Asean-BAC) Malaysia, hailed the move, expressing the hope that the step would create more “Asean champions to be based in Malaysia”.

The special ABE status would enable publicly listed companies and mid-sized companies to expand their operations in the Southeast Asian region.

“It is exciting to see Malaysia take the lead in introducing the Asean Business Entity (ABE) framework,” he told Bernama on Saturday.

Read more at theedgemalaysia.com