Malaysia- an upbeat, opulent and jovial nation that offers an interesting ensemble of various customs and cultures from Chinese to Indian and Malay is a compact and flourishing economy. As per the 2005 census, Malaysia is the 34th largest economy in the whole world as per the purchasing power index. This erstwhile British colony has evolved to become one of the formidable economic forces in Asia. The mainstay of this industrialized nation is exports and tourism.   

The Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (KLSE) was set up in 1976 as a limited company that took over the operations and assets of The Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Berhad (KLSEB) in the same year. Securities business in Malaysia traces its roots to 1930 when Singapore Stockbrokers’ Association was founded. After a few years in 1937 it was re-registered in the name of Malayan Stockbrokers’ Association. Later in 1960 the Malayan Stock Exchange took shape to cater to the public trading of shares. At that time there was only a single market for both the shares of Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, which were listed as a single entity  The Stock Exchange of Malaysia was founded in 1964; however when Singapore ceased to be a part of Malaysia it was renamed as Stock Exchange of Malaysia and Singapore. Later on when the currency interchangeability stopped between
Malaysia and Singapore, it was bifurcated into The Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Berhad and Singapore Stock Exchange. The former was converted into a public limited company by demutualization in 2004, which took the name Bursa Malaysia. It is comprised of a main and secondary board with a total market capitalization is around US$189 billion. 

The KLSE plays an important role in driving the economy of Malaysia and harnessing funds through public shares. Malaysia has recorded a strong industrial growth and its exports to United States made huge strides, which resulted in faster economic growth. The currency of Ringgit registered appreciation and the surplus foreign reserves shoved the KLSE to over 1200 points. Going by the indications it could be said that the day is not far way when Malaysia regains its past opulence and economic buoyancy. In 2007 Ringgit hit an all time high at 3.39 against the American dollar and Malaysia has managed to sustain its tempo of all round development.