Govt may reconsider support for ‘mature’ REIT sector, says Amir Hamzah

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 5): The government may need to reconsider the continuation of support for the real estate investment trust (REIT) sector as the industry has reached a level of maturity and strong commercial viability, said Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan.

He said Malaysia has capitalised on the REIT business over the past 21 years, with the REIT sector now positioning itself as a viable alternative for companies to strengthen their balance sheet.

He noted that the REIT market capitalisation reached about RM57 billion last year, compared with less than RM1 billion when it was first introduced, and that the markets have accepted that REIT is an important enhancement to the capital market. “If the REIT business is already mature and viable, then maybe the government may need to reconsider whether it needs to give it any more (support). Because it's already big,” Amir Hamzah told reporters.

Earlier, he spoke at the fiscal and monetary policies session alongside Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) governor Datuk Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour, on the sidelines of the Malaysia Economic Forum 2026 here Thursday.

When asked whether the government is considering revising this year’s growth outlook, the minister expressed optimism that there could be a positive adjustment to the forecast when it is reviewed again in April.

“But give them (BNM) time to go through the numbers, to anchor the numbers properly. The Madani government’s focus is to execute what we have already put out in the 13th Malaysia Plan, what we have already put out in Budget 2026 to make sure that the underpinnings of the economy remain very strong,” he added.

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