FUTURE FINANCE FORUM 2025: ARIM’S INITIATIVE TO EMPOWER NEXT GEN OF ETHICAL, FINANCIALLY LITERATE LEADERS

JOHOR BAHRU, Jan 15 (Bernama) -- The Future Finance Forum 2025 is an initiative by AmanahRaya Investment Management (ARIM) designed to equip university students with essential financial literacy skills, fostering the next generation of ethical, responsible, and empowering leaders.

ARIM chairman Mohd Razlan Mohamed said the forum, which was launched today, embarks on a significant journey toward fostering a brighter future for everyone involved.

He emphasised that the forum exemplifies ARIM’s unwavering commitment to sharing knowledge, strengthening connections, and cultivating trust within the community.

"ARIM believes that education is the key to transformation. By equipping students with financial knowledge, we are enabling them to overcome barriers and create pathways to success.

“This initiative reflects ARIM's core values of integrity, responsibility, and community engagement. Our mission is not just to educate but to inspire the next generation to lead with ethics and drive meaningful change,” he said during a press conference, here today.

Mohd Razlan also said that this initiative aligns with ARIM’s vision of fostering meaningful connections with clients and the community while championing thought leadership in the financial industry.

“By addressing the specific challenges faced by university students, the programme provides them with the tools and knowledge necessary to shape a brighter, more inclusive future.

"I was informed that 60 students from University Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) attended today’s forum, mostly from the faculties of business and finance,” he said.

Among them, 20 selected students are from special groups in need of assistance.

“We are not just providing physical assets; we are giving laptops equipped with a finance module for four months.

“We hope that these 20 selected students will benefit tremendously. In the second half of the year, we will have another similar programme with a different theme and in collaboration with learning institutions around Klang Valley," Mohd Razlan said. 

ARIM’s chief executive officer Mohamad Shafik Badaruddin said the objective of the forum is to ensure Malaysians are empowered to manage their finances better in the future.

"This forum is the first of its series we plan to launch in the future. The theme of this inaugural forum is ‘Financial Well-being: Empowering Malaysians Toward Economic Inclusivity’.

"What motivated us is the worrying statistics regarding how Malaysian youth manage their finances. We have also been monitoring bankruptcy cases among the youth, which, over the past four years, amount to around 10,500 cases,” he said.

Mohamad Shafik said that as an asset management company, it is ARIM’s responsibility to give back to society by educating Malaysian youth on financial matters.

To that effect, Mohamad Shafik said that ARIM will be starting a four-month financial literacy programme called “Rising Grads Malaysia” in June this year.

The programme is specifically tailored to empower selected students with the essential knowledge, skills, and confidence to manage their finances effectively, which aligns with ARIM’s goal to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and mindset to make informed financial decisions and achieve lifelong financial well-being.

"The programme is carefully designed by our selected trainers and spans over four months. The selected students will undergo training on managing their finances, with monthly sessions led by personal coaches.

“These students will receive personalised coaching. Financial literacy is something we take seriously, and we go to the extent of coaching students on a personal level. With the laptop contribution, our total investment in the programme is around RM100,000, which I believe is a significant and impactful amount for this noble cause,” Mohamad Shafik noted.

In another development, Mohd Razlan said that as of Dec 31, 2024, ARIM’s assets under management (AUM) grew to RM7.7 billion, reflecting the company’s strong track record in the industry.

ARIM, a wholly owned subsidiary of AmanahRaya Bhd, was incorporated in July 1994.

Licensed under the Capital Markets and Services Act 2007, ARIM offers both shariah-compliant and conventional mandates across various asset classes, serving a diverse clientele including pension funds, insurance companies, government agencies, and high-net-worth individuals.

"We manage assets worth RM7.7 billion and we are the largest non-bank-backed asset management company in Malaysia. We have been consistently profitable and contribute to the country’s economic well-being. 

“In terms of future projects, we plan to offer products that cater to the retail market, in addition to managing corporate funds,” he highlighted.

Currently, ARIM has five retail unit trust products.

“This is an exciting time for individuals to invest. Within this year, we plan to launch three new unit trust products.

“One of these products will provide access to the international market, specifically the United States market, expanding our offerings to include global investment opportunities,” said Mohamad Shafik.

-- BERNAMA