IT has been eight years since the Leading Entrepreneur Accelerator Platform — better known as the LEAP Market — was launched by Bursa Malaysia at Invest Malaysia Kuala Lumpur on July 25, 2017.
At the time, the LEAP Market was envisioned as a capital-raising platform for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that were not yet ready but aspired to eventually list on Bursa Malaysia’s ACE or Main Market.
Initially, the LEAP platform was met with considerable fanfare and enthusiasm. Many applauded the regulators for taking such a progressive step toward liberalising the capital markets.
For market participants and SME owners alike, the launch of the LEAP Market inspired great hope. It created a legitimate bridge connecting SMEs to the more established ACE Market — a clear pathway, or so it seemed.
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