CGS International successfully concludes ASEAN investment challenge 2024 with Malaysian Winner

International Islamic University Malaysia's Azre Nazerul Rahman clinched first place at CGS International Securities (CGS International)'s annual AIC 2024. The competition brought together top teams from Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand – collectively known as M.I.S.T – who faced off in a high-stakes finale held at Bursa Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur on 13 February.

Contestants presented their investment strategies before a panel of judges comprising professionals from each country's stock exchange. After a rigorous assessment, the champion walked away with a grand prize of over S$20,000.

Mr Kevin Lee, Group Head of Sustainability of CGS International, said: "AIC 2024 has once again highlighted the potential of our future leaders in finance. We hope their 8-month journey with AIC has provided them with a solid foundation in lifelong financial management skills, including the incorporation of ESG in their investment practices. Through initiatives such as AIC, CGS International is dedicated to empower the communities for a more sustainable tomorrow."

Carol Fong, Group CEO of CGS International, said: "Looking at the talent here today, I am reminded of the significance of AIC as a beacon to build the next generation of finance leaders.

My heartiest congratulations to our four teams who made it to the finals. They stood out from over 5,000 participants with their thoughtful, innovative investment strategies – showing not just a sound grasp of market principles, but also a good knowledge of sustainable and responsible investing. In the end, Azre Nazerul from Malaysia excelled with his holistic investment strategy and impressive presentation."

This year's challenge saw the participation of over 5,000 students from 500 institutions of higher learning in M.I.S.T. Notably, AIC is the only investment challenge backed by all four local stock exchanges: Bursa Malaysia, Indonesia Stock Exchange, Singapore Exchange, and the Stock Exchange of Thailand.

A key highlight of AIC 2024 was the introduction of a new judging element, which evaluated participants' portfolio performance against benchmark returns, offering a fresh perspective on investment success.

CGS International aims to encourage sustainable investing amongst the new generation. The Challenge imparts investment fundamentals, including ESG investing and risk management. The participants receive practical training in addition to theory lessons from CGS International's investment experts. Winners are also offered internships with the Group to put their new skills to practice, making it a truly holistic learning experience.

Azre Nazerul, International Islamic University Malaysia and AIC 2024 winner, said: "Like so many of my peers, I have wanted to start investing for a while but lacked the know-how. Hence, when AIC came to our school, many of us took the chance to learn. Throughout the challenge, CGS International provided us with many tools and resources to hone our investment skills. I really appreciated the opportunity to try our hand at investing without having to take on any actual risks. With the benchmark returns as part of the judging criteria this year, we could also tell how well our portfolios performed against industry benchmarks. This was immensely useful in our own performance evaluation."  

The next AIC will be launched on 8 April 2025 at the ASEAN Investment Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.