Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) on 12 June announced the full rollout of the Qualified Resident Investor (QRI) Programme for eligible corporates, effective 1 July 2025.
The move is aimed at encouraging two-way flows in the onshore foreign exchange market and offers greater flexibility for Malaysian corporates in managing their overseas investments.
The full implementation of the QRI Programme follows the success of its pilot phase, introduced in April 2024.
Since its inception, the programme has generated cumulative inflows exceeding USD1 billion into Malaysia’s domestic financial market.
Under the QRI Programme, eligible resident corporates are only required to complete a one-off registration with BNM.
Upon successful registration, they will be granted flexibility to undertake future direct investments abroad without having to obtain prior approval from the central bank.
To benefit from this flexibility, corporates must repatriate and convert eligible foreign currency funds into ringgit.
The eligibility criteria include being a resident corporate that repatriates and converts foreign currency proceeds from overseas investments and demonstrates good corporate governance and compliance with BNM’s foreign exchange policy. The QRI Programme will be available until 30 June 2028.
Shahriena Shukri is a journalist covering business and economic news in Malaysia, providing insights on market trends, corporate developments, and financial policies. More about Shahriena Shukri.
