CHINA - BANKING - Alkhair International Islamic Bank eyes opportunities in Shanghai and Great Eastern Takaful looking Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore and China

www.cpifinancial.net - The bank’s Chairman, Datuk Kamaruddin Taib, revealed to Islamic Business & Finance that he will be flying to Shanghai tomorrow (1 June) to take a closer look at a prospect in China’s most populous city. (source)

INDONESIA - EVENTS - High level conference : Speech by Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz, Governor, Bank Negara Malaysia

Joint Opening Remarks by Governor
Joint High Level Conference on Islamic Finance

Jakarta, Indonesia
Monday, 18 July 2011

Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz,
Governor, Bank Negara Malaysia

“Enhancing Financial Linkages Towards Economic Prosperity”

(source)

INDONESIA - EVENTS - conference on Islamic Finance entitled “Enhancing Financial Linkages towards Economic Prosperity” to be held in Jakarta, Indonesia on18 July 2011

Bank Negara Malaysia and Bank Indonesia
Joint Conference on Islamic Finance, 18-19 July 2011, Jakarta

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) and Bank Indonesia (BI) is organising a joint conference on Islamic Finance entitled “Enhancing Financial Linkages towards Economic Prosperity” to be held in Jakarta, Indonesia on18 July 2011 at Shangri-La Hotel. HRH Raja Nazrin Shah, the MIFC Financial Ambassador; Dr. Zeti Akhtar Aziz, Governor, BNM; Darmin Nasution, Governor, BI and industry leaders in the financial sectors of both countries will be speaking at the event. The conference acts as a discussion platform to explore opportunities to further enhance two-way investments between Indonesia and Malaysia; and towards strengthening linkages between its Islamic financial markets.

In conjunction with the conference, three workshops will take place on 19 July 2011. These workshops discuss opportunities for strengthening cross-border liquidity management, product development and innovation; and creating an enabling environment for Islamic finance.

To download the event agenda, click Here

To download the registration form, click Here
Deadline for registration is Thursday, 14 July 2011

REGULATIONS - MALAYSIA - MIFC - June launch likely for 2nd phase of masterplan

It is primarily aimed at measures to support a high-value economy

KUALA LUMPUR: The second phase of the financial services masterplan, primarily aimed at measures to support a high-value economy, will likely be launched in June.

“We want to enhance the capacity of the financial system to best serve a high-value, high-income society.

“The measures will cover banking, insurance, money and foreign markets as well as Islamic finance,'' said Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz at a press conference to launch the Bank Negara annual report 2010 yesterday.

“We want to develop a vibrant international Islamic financial centre with vibrant linkages with the region and the world,'' she added. “We also want Malaysia to be a centre for thought leadership in Islamic finance.'' (full story)

MALAYSIA - FINANCE - 2010 Stronger global Islamic finance hub status

THE year 2010 saw the expansion of Islamic finance in Malaysia as the Islamic banking, takaful and Islamic capital market grew, in line with the economic recovery.

During the year, the country strengthened its position as a global hub for Islamic finance, supported by the Malaysia International Islamic Financial Centre (MIFC) initiative.

The highlight of the achievements in the local Islamic finance sector last year (2010) has to be the recognition given to Bank Negara Governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz locally and abroad.

Zeti was the first woman recipient, in 24 years, of the national-level Ma'al Hijrah award. She was recognised for helping pull the country out of the 1998 financial crisis, making Malaysia a financial hub and implementing Islamic banking.

FINANCE - Sukuk market will bounce back over the next two years

ELAF Bank is a wholesale Islamic bank incorporated in Bahrain in 2007. Its shareholders include Aref Investment Group of Kuwait; Kuwait Investment Company (KIC); Sukuk Holding Company; Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD), the private sector funding arm of the Islamic Development Bank; and Qatar Islamic Bank.

It started with the original objective of developing a secondary market in sukuk and to be a market maker. In fact its original name was the cumbersome Sukuk Exchange Central Bank. But the oncoming global financial crisis forced the bank to retreat into more vanilla investment banking to generate enough income to cover its expenses and to prepare for the recovery in the market in 2010-2011.

EDUCATON - New Malaysia measures to boost talent pool - Special Employment Pass SEP

Malaysia has introduced several measures to boost the development of human capital in the Islamic finance industry under the Malaysia International Islamic Finance (MIFC) initiative. Developing the next generation of Islamic finance executives and experts remains a major priority of the government and the Bank Negara Malaysia, the central bank.