Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) Sasana Symposium 2025 (SS2025) reaffirms the continued and urgent need for collective action in advancing structural reforms for the nation’s long-term resilience.

The two-day event gathers policymakers, industry leaders, academia and representatives from civil society at Sasana Kijang on 17 and 18 June. Themed ‘Structural Reforms: Building a Resilient Malaysia’, discussions centre around key economic and financial issues through 23 panel sessions, fireside chats and workshops. The topics include digital assets, inflation and cost of living, social safety nets, medical and healthcare costs and climate finance.

A key highlight of SS2025 is the launch of the Digital Asset Innovation Hub by Prime Minister YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim. This initiative aims to stimulate financial innovation in a controlled environment for applicants to test new ideas and provide input to fine-tune regulatory and security frameworks. This is to support the development of digital assets and the application of leading-edge financial technology in Malaysia. SS2025 will also witness the launch of the Climate Finance Innovation Lab (CFIL) by the Joint Committee on Climate Change (JC3).

BNM Governor Dato’ Seri Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour said, ‘Structural reforms are not something one institution or individual can tackle alone. It requires a whole-of-nation approach. Reforms and policies are not mere ideas on paper. They can make a real difference in the everyday lives of Malaysians.’

‘Through panel sessions, fireside chats and workshops, we share not only what we do, but why we do it. From topics like financial literacy and digital assets, to climate finance and even healthcare reforms, these are the building blocks of a stronger, more resilient Malaysia,’ he added.

Building on the success of previous years, SS2025 features Bazar iTEKAD. This year, 14 out of more than 10,000 microentrepreneurs who have benefited from the iTEKAD social finance programme will showcase their products. Supported by the financial industry, iTEKAD provides blended financing and structured training to help these entrepreneurs grow their businesses.

With Malaysia hosting the ASEAN Chairmanship 2025, participants can explore the ASEAN Tunnel over the two days, an immersive exhibition about ASEAN’s economic and financial milestones. Through sight and sound, the exhibition showcases BNM’s key efforts in supporting ASEAN's transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy, and promoting instant payment connectivity. Participants can also learn about initiatives like the Local Currency Transaction Framework and efforts to enhance financial literacy.

For more details about the SS2025 programme, visit bnm.gov.my/ss2025.