Despite positive economic numbers, like a nearly 50 percent jump in foreign direct investment last year, Kuala Lumpur's stock market is Asia's worst performer so far in 2019. At Malaysia's annual capital market forum on Tuesday, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad had a chance to sell foreign and local fund managers, and analysts on the reforms his 10-month-old government is undertaking. But though analysts and investors may like what they're hearing, they want to see tangible results. Rian Maelzer reports from Kuala Lumpur.

Mahathir Mohamad addresses fund managers, analysts, and business leaders at the Invest Malaysia conference, his first since returning as prime minister at the head of an entirely different ruling alliance.

His priority, he said, to restore the country's finances and reputation in the wake of the 1MDB scandal.

MAHATHIR MOHAMAD PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA "We have taken many steps to stop the rot and to bring the country back on a strong footing. We have a lot of unfinished business. We have a nation to rebuild, and to achieve that we have to reset Malaysia."

Mahathir outlined his government's wide-ranging reforms in governance, taxation, industrial policy, education.

PANKAJ KUMAR INDEPENDENT ANALYST "The message he is trying to relay to the market is to reassure investors that Malaysia is on the right platform, and that the government is doing all it can to drive the economy forward."

Despite a big surge in foreign direct investment in 2018, corporate earnings disappointed, and so far this year, Malaysia's stock market has performed worse than all its regional peers.

Analysts say Asian markets often do poorly for a good 18 months after a major political change.

ALEXANDER CHIA HEAD, REGIONAL EQUITY RESEARCH, RHB "It takes that amount of time before the markets and investors can understand the new policy priorities and the new changes in the leadership and the new emphasis on where the new leadership wants to take the economy."

RIAN MAELZER KUALA LUMPUR "A big source of uncertainty, even anxiety, is the prospect of another change at the top. The 93-year-old Mahathir Mohamad has pledged to hand over the prime ministership to his former nemesis Anwar Ibrahim within the next 14 months."

That looming transition, coupled with the government's ambitious reform agenda, gives much for investors to be both encouraged by and wary of.

Rian Maelzer, CGTN, Kuala Lumpur.