In August 2006, the Malaysia International Islamic Financial Center (MIFC) initiative was launched to position Malaysia as a hub for international Islamic finance. The MIFC initiative comprises a community network of the country’s financial and market regulators, government ministries and agencies together with industry participation from the banking, Takaful, capital market institutions, human capital development institutions and professional services companies.

Malaysia welcomes global talents, leading players, issuers and investors to leverage on our experience and expertise in Islamic finance for global business opportunities. In an environment of innovation and thought leadership, Malaysia shapes the future of Islamic finance to strengthen economic and financial linkages with other financial centres.

AmIslamic is the universal brand for AmBank Group as your one-stop solutions provider in Islamic finance, backed by a strong tradition of innovative customized products and services from the group and its subsidiaries, including AmInvestment Bank, AmIslamic Bank and AmIslamic Funds Management.

The Islamic investment banking, retail, corporate and institutional banking, funds management and related products and services from AmIslamic continue to deliver award winning results and offer excellent client service that institutions, corporates, government agencies, SMEs and individuals have come to expect.

Recent awards include Musharakah Deal of the Year (AmIslamic Bank RM3 billion (US$1.01 billion ) Senior Sukuk Musharakah Program) at the Islamic Finance news Deals of the Year 2010, Best Domestic Bond House at The Asset Triple A Country Awards 2010 and Most Outstanding Islamic Investment Banking from KLIFF Islamic Finance Awards 2010.

BNP Paribas is a European leader in global banking and financial services and benefits from the know-how of several teams and partners around the world.

Active in Islamic banking since 1975, BNP Paribas has developed a very strong capability for innovation in Islamic finance. BNP Paribas Najmah has established a strong foothold in Asia with dedicated team of professional specializing in origination, structuring and marketing of innovative Islamic finance solutions.

BNP Paribas Investment Partners Najmah offers investors a dedicated range of Shariah compliant investment solutions.

Our investment experts provide equity management and a wide range of investment vehicles including dedicated mandates, mutual funds, exchange traded funds and structured funds, asset classes ranging from Shariah compliant equities and money markets to fixed income, and dedicated Islamic umbrella funds.

BNP Paribas offers immediate and simplified access to a broad range of specialized partners but also the strength of a major group.

CIMB Islamic is the global Islamic banking and finance arm of CIMB Group. It offers innovative and comprehensive Shariah-compliant financial solutions in investment banking, consumer banking, asset management, Takaful, private banking and wealth management.

CIMB Islamic’s products and operations are managed in strict compliance with Shariah principles under the guidance of the CIMB Islamic Shariah committee, which comprises the world’s leading Islamic scholars.

CIMB Islamic is recognized as a pioneer in Islamic financial markets, having advised on the world’s first Shariah-compliant exchangeable bond and the largest sovereign Sukuk (Islamic bond) issue globally.

Islamic Bank of Thailand is set up under the Islamic Bank of Thailand Act 2002 and regulated by the ministry of finance. The bank commenced operations in June 2003 with paid up capital of 1 billion baht (US$32 million).

The bank believes Shariah banking system is able to serve anyone and thus creates and develops more innovative and competitive products, embarks rebranding exercise and provides the best services to customers. The bank promotes ethical culture, social responsibility, Islamic principle and good governance through the operation framework resulted ibank to be differentiate and new alternative for anyone regardless of religion.

The bank became state owned enterprise in 2006. Its major shareholder is the ministry of finance and other state-owned banks through shareholding of currently 8,520 million shares accounting for 98.18% of the total shares

Affin Islamic Bank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Affin Bank, commenced its operations in 2006 with a current paid-up capital of RM260 million (US$82 million).

Affin Islamic offers over 40 different Shariah based products to both individuals and businesses. Its consumer banking sector has an array of products and services that caters specifically for the different needs of its clientele. Its business banking sector products include short to long-term financing including syndicated financing, project financing, trade finance and treasury products.

Innovative Islamic products by Affin Islamic have paved the way into the local banking industry and among its notable achievements include being the first domestic Islamic bank in Malaysia to enter into a Musharakah agreement with a notable developer in 2008 and being the first Islamic bank to launch its Islamic Debit MasterCard in the Asia Pacific region in 2008 as well.

Affin Islamic operates in 94 branches throughout the country with its parent, Affin Bank and has seven fully fledged branches.

Log on to www.affinislamic.com.my for more information

Bank Islam Malaysia was established in 1983 as Malaysia’s first Islamic bank. To date, the bank has a network of more than 100 branches and 900 self-service terminals nationwide. To meet the public’s diverse financial needs, Bank Islam offers more than 50 Shariah based banking products and services which cater to Muslims and non-Muslims

Dow Jones Indexes is a leading full service index provider that develops, maintains and licences indexes for use as benchmarks and as the basis of investment products. Best known for the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Dow Jones Indexes offers more than 130,000 equity indexes as well as fixed income and alternative indexes, including measures of hedge funds, commodities and real estate. Dow Jones Indexes employs clear, unbiased and systematic methodologies that are fully integrated within index families. Dow Jones Indexes is part of a joint venture company owned 90 percent by CME Group and 10% by Dow Jones & Company, a news corporation company.

HSBC Group is one of the largest banking and financial services organization, serving customers worldwide from around 7,500 offices in 80 countries and territories. HSBC Malaysia was locally incorporated in 1984.

HSBC Amanah Malaysia is a fully fledged Islamic bank wholly owned by HSBC Malaysia and a member of the HSBC Group offering a full suite of Islamic financial propositions.

HSBC Amanah Takaful (Malaysia) is the first Takaful provider to be rated by an international agency receiving a rating of ‘A-‘as capped by the sovereign rating in Malaysia. The company is a joint venture between HSBC Insurance (Asia Pacific) Holdings (49%), Jerneh Asia (31%) and EPF Malaysia (20%).

HSBC Amanah Malaysia and HSBC Amanah Takaful complement the bank by providing a wide range of Islamic financial solutions and Takaful. To date, HSBC in Malaysia has a network of 52 branches nationwide, of which 10 are Islamic finance branches.

Luxembourg for Finance, the agency for the development of the financial sector, is a public-private partnership between the Luxembourg government and the Luxembourg Financial industry Federation (PROFIL), under the presidency of the minister of finance, Luc Frieden.

The principal mission of the agency is to create a strong brand image for the financial centre, communicating the advantages of its products and services to a wide public. The agency also highlights the numerous opportunities available to investors and clients, whether institutional or private, from around the world.

The agency works to raise awareness of the broad range of career opportunities available in the banking and investment fund sectors, wealth management and a range of professional activities serving the financial sector.

Prudential BSN Takaful (PruBSN) is a coalition of two significant names — Prudential Holdings (Prudential) and Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN). Prudential was founded in 1848, while BSN was launched in 1974. The partnership provides a solid structure for PruBSN in view of Prudential’s strength in agency distribution as well as BSN’s impressive corporate capability.

The strong presence of these two companies has created vast opportunities for PruBSN to accelerate the growth of Takaful in Malaysia by providing an array of innovative and dynamic protection and investment linked products in the local market. As PruBSn celebrates its fifth year anniversary in 2011, the company is proud that it has offered many firsts in the Takaful industry including a no claim bonus on its health product, a hassle free medical card and a comprehensive plan that combines financial protection and spiritual benefits through its signature product PruBSN Ummah.

Sabana Shari'ah Compliant Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust (Sabana REIT) is a Singapore based REIT established to invest in industrial income producing real estate in Singapore and Asia that comply with Shariah requirements. It is the first fully certified Shariah compliant REIT in Singapore, as well as the first listed REIT in the world to adopt GCC Shariah compliant standards, giving Sabana REIT a wider appeal to a broader set of investors not previously accessible by the Singapore equity market.

Sabana REIT is also the largest Shariah certified listed REIT globally, with an asset under management of SG$850million (US$671 million), comprising 15 industrial properties with an aggregate GFA of over 3.28 million sq ft that are located in Singapore’s high technology industrial and logistics hubs with close proximity to expressways and public transportation.

Aberdeen Asset Management (AAMSB) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Aberdeen Group, the UK listed independent asset management company. AAMSB is the first of only six foreign fund managers to have been awarded a domestic asset management licensee. Our office in Kuala Lumpur was established in 2005 to enable the Malaysian clients to benefit from our extensive overseas network covering equities, fixed income instruments and property globally.

The Aberdeen Group has been actively managing investments in the Asian region since 1985. In all, Aberdeen has 31 offices in 24 countries globally managing assets worth US$290 billion

Aberdeen Islamic Asset Management (AIAMSB) is a locally incorporated foreign financial institution involved in Islamic asset management. We were awarded the Islamic fund management license in March 2009 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Aberdeen Asset Management (AAMSB). AIAMSB currently manages US$170 million worth of Islamic assets.

Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Central London, with presence in the Middle East, DDCAP is majority owned and controlled by IPGL. DDCAP positions itself as an intermediary in the Islamic financial services industry, providing structuring support, trade execution and value-added services to its global clients.

DDCAP holds a unique market position as a facilitator across a diverse range of Shariah compliant products, asset classes and instruments in both the primary and secondary markets. DDCAP’s wholly owned subsidiaries include DD&Co and DDGI. DD&Co is an associate trade member of the London Metal Exchange and an associate member of the London Platinum and Palladium Market.

Eiger Trading Advisors is an investment management and advisory firm specializing in commodities markets. Based in London, the company has a wealth of knowledge and experience and generates value through its network of relationships within physical commodities markets.

Our dedicated team provides Islamic financial institutions with custom bespoke products in a range of commodities, including:
• Liquidity management/Asset facilitation — via our proprietary electronic trading platform
• Shariah compliant commodity indices
• Structured products
• Commodity trade finance and risk mitigation
• Shariah compliant trade finance funds (advisory and under management)

Our proprietary web-based trading platform is currently being used or tested by over 130 institutions across Europe, the GCC and Asia. The platform automates the structuring and execution of Islamic treasury and capital markets products for wholesale and retail commodity-backed transactions and is one of the most advanced and efficient delivery mechanisms available

Herbert Smith is an international legal practice with a 1,300-lawyer network across the Middle East, Europe and Asia.

Our award winning Global Islamic Finance Group, led by Dubai based partner Nadim Khan, offers a distinctive full service Islamic finance capability, ranging from early structuring of transactions and preparing documentation to working with Shariah committees and all other aspects of all types of Islamic finance transactions. Our experience includes project finance including real estate development financing, property finance, through to general banking, asset finance, debt capital markets and Sukuk, Islamic private equity and projects that have been financed on a multi-sourced basis using Islamic finance.

Example of our recent work include advising Qatar Islamic Bank on its inaugural US dollar- denominated Sukuk issuance which raised US$750 million for Qatar's largest Shariah compliant financier.

Islamic Finance Advisory and Assurance Services (IFAAS) is an independent specialist consultancy with offices in Birmingham (UK), Paris (France) and Manama (Bahrain), providing advisory services to financial institutions in the critical and complex area of Shariah Compliance.

We are at the forefront of the dynamic Islamic finance industry and have rapidly grown into a leading provider of comprehensive outsourced solutions and a wide range of specialist Shariah advisory services to some of the leading financial institutions and key stakeholders in the UK, Europe, Middle East, Africa and the Americas. Our principle services include Shariah audit, setting up Shariah compliance frameworks, product development and deal structuring (from concept to implementation), marketing and communication strategies, market research and feasibility studies and providing professional training in Islamic finance.

Norton Rose Group is a leading international legal practice offering a full business law service from offices across Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific. 

Our award winning Islamic finance group is comprised of over 50 partners and associates across the globe. The group has extensive Islamic finance experience, and has advised on numerous types of Islamic transactions for many Islamic financial institutions and conventional banks. The members of our Islamic finance group bring with them different industry expertise and are members of our aviation, shipping, projects, acquisition finance, banking and structured finance, international securities and collective investments practice areas.

For over 30 years, the group has been advising on all forms of financings arranged for the benefit of Islamic investors. 

Trowers & Hamlins is a long established international law firm which provides a full range of corporate, business and commercial legal services. We currently have more than 120 partners and over 700 personnel across our network of offices.

Trowers & Hamlins has long established offices in the UAE (Abu Dhabi and Dubai), Bahrain, Egypt, and Oman, in addition to a formal cooperation arrangement with Feras Al Shawaf Law Firm in Saudi Arabia, and with Abdul Karim Al-Fauri & Associates in Jordan and Sultans Law in Syria. In addition, we have strong links with prominent law firms in Kuwait and Qatar and with other local counsels throughout the Middle East region and globally.

Our principal office is located in London. We also have our UK regional offices, in Birmingham, Exeter and Manchester.

Cagamas Berhad (Cagamas), the National Mortgage Corporation, was established in 1986 to promote the broader spread of house ownership and growth of the secondary mortgage market in Malaysia. It issues debt securities to finance the purchase of housing loans from financial institutions and non-financial institutions. The provision of liquidity to financial institutions at a reasonable cost to primary lenders of housing loans encourages further expansion of financing for houses at an affordable cost.

The Cagamas model is regarded by the World Bank as a successful secondary mortgage liquidity facility. Cagamas is the leading issuer of AAA debt securities in Malaysia and one of the top Sukuk issuers in the world. Since its incorporation, Cagamas has cumulatively issued RM248.2 billion of conventional and Islamic debt securities (as at 30 April 2011).

Cagamas’ debt securities have the highest ratings by RAM Rating Services Berhad and Malaysian Rating Corporation Berhad.

HID Global is the trusted source for secure identity solutions for millions of customers around the world. Recognized for robust quality, innovative designs and industry leadership, HID Global is the supplier of choice for original equipment manufacturers, system integrators, and application developers serving a variety of market. These markets include physical and logical access control, including strong authentication and credential management; card printing and personalization; highly secure government ID; and identification technologies used in animal ID and industry and logistics applications. The company's primary brands include HID®, ActivIdentity™, FARGO®, and LaserCard®. Headquartered in Irvine, California, HID Global has over 2,100 employees worldwide and operates international offices that support more than 100 countries. HID Global is an ASSA ABLOY Group brand.

For more information, visit www.hidglobal.com

Al Rajhi Bank, the largest Islamic banking group in the world is recognised for being instrumental in bridging the gap between modern financial demands and intrinsic Islamic values. Leveraging on its established principles and operations in the Middle East, Al Rajhi Bank ventured out as an international bank by setting up its first overseas operations in Malaysia, launched in February 2007. To date, it has 21 branches, 15 in the Klang Valley, one in Johor Bharu, Melaka, Penang, Kuching, Kota Bharu and Ipoh respectively. Plans are in the way to open a few more this year and offsite ATMs are now located in many locations throughout Malaysia. In 2010, Al Rajhi opened its Affluent Banking flagship branch at Menara BRDB in Bangsar to cater to its high net worth customers.

Truth. Honour. Respect. Just Values

Baker & McKenzie has been present in Asia for over 45 years and has been key adviser to some of Asia’s most established and respected companies, financial institutions and government organizations. The depth of our legal knowledge and experience in the region is unrivalled - lawyers in our 14 offices across major Asian cities and financial centers are locally qualified and globally experienced. We provide not only sound commercial advice to clients but deliver it in a manner that is sensitive to cultural, social and legal practice differences. The firm offers counsel and representation in virtually every area of corporate and commercial law, and our practices are frequently cited and ranked among the best in their respective markets by industry awards and surveys. Client-focused and committed to excellence, we observe rigorous service standards to ensure our clients receive consistent and seamless service in Asia and around the world.

Deutsche Bank is a leading global investment bank with a presence in over 70 countries and a strong and profitable private client franchise. A leader in Germany and Europe, the bank is continuously growing in North America, Asia and key emerging markets.

Deutsche Bank’s Trust & Securities Services provides an extensive range of trust, agency, depositary, custody, fund administration and related services, on over EUR 7 trillion (US$10.2 trillion) in debt and equity securities worldwide. In Malaysia, these services are offered through Deutsche Trustees Malaysia or Deutsche Bank (Malaysia). Our expertise extends across a wide range of Islamic financing structures including project finance and syndicated loan administration, making us an ideal trustee and administrator for complex Islamic structures that encompass a variety of characteristics and services.

FWU Group is a global leader in the fast expanding Takaful industry and has generated significant production in the various markets: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Pakistan and Malaysia. Today, FWU Group is recognized as the largest global producer of bancaTakaful in those five markets combined. FWU Group specializes in white label Family Takaful unit-linked investments and offers the Takaful operators and bank distribution partners a customized innovate product family, which includes savings, education, marriage and pension plans.

A second generation of that product suite has recently been developed and approved by various Shariah boards to meet with customers’ broader financing planning needs. FWU Group offers the banks an open investment architecture where they can incorporate their own Shariah compliant funds into the investments universe as well as a proprietary quantitative investment model for the monthly fund selection and allocation.

Labuan International Business and Financial Centre, situated in the heart of Asia offers global investors and financial service providers the benefit of being in a leading international financial centre with access to 63 of Malaysia’s 75 double-taxation treaties.

Labuan IBFC is Asia’s hub for Islamic financial services, a position further anchored by the Labuan Islamic Financial Services and Securities Act 2010, the world’s first omnibus legislation covering all aspects of Islamic financial services.

With six fully fledged Islamic banks, Labuan is also the source of two-thirds of the world’s Sukuk and boasts its own Shariah Supervisory Council, which promotes innovation in Islamic finance. Labuan IBFC is also home to the world’s first Shariah compliant captive and 14 Takaful and re-Takaful firms.

OCBC Bank (Malaysia) launched its Islamic banking (IB) business through the “window” concept on the 5th June 1995 and became the 19th of 22 commercial banks to operate IB business. After 14 years of operating under the Islamic “window” business, OCBC Al-Amin Bank commenced its operations on the 1st December 2008.

OCBC Al-Amin is an Islamic bank that serves across communities, in keeping with the purpose statement of OCBC Bank — strive to make OCBC Al-Amin relevant and attractive to both Muslims and non-Muslims; both businesses and individuals while adhering to the tenets of Islam.

OCBC Al-Amin offers a broad array of specialist financial services, ranging from consumer, corporate, investment, private and transaction banking to treasury, asset management and stockbroking services.

OCBC Al-Amin now has five branches, and its products and services may also be accessed via all 29 OCBC Bank branches.

TRASSET is one of the major international software solution providers for financial institutions with headquarters in Milan, Italy and offices across the globe including Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.

TRASSET is a worldwide unique system offering fully integrated treasury, corporate banking, investment banking and asset management systems covering both conventional and Islamic banking activities.

Our customer base has more than 100 different financial institutions; our solutions manage assets worth billions of dollars in over 15 countries spanning across Europe, America, Asia and the Middle East. 

Islamic Finance News is the industry's leading, capital markets focused, e-newsletter bringing you unrivalled editorial coverage every week on the global Islamic financial market. This weekly newsletter provides insightful and intelligent editorial coverage from around the world helping you keep ahead. In addition to a comprehensive weekly review of all the stories from around the globe, interviews, forums, market statistics and data, key industry practitioners contribute via non-biased, educational and up-to-date country and sector reports, giving you a firsthand knowledge and understanding of the Islamic finance markets and instruments from an experts' point of view. For a trial subscription, please contact Musfaizal Mustafa at +603 2162 7804 or email musfaizal.mustafa@redmoneygroup.com

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Through the monthly magazine and daily news website we uncover the latest sell side trends in Asia, Asian equities, capital markets, corporate finance, M&A, cash management, electronic trading, bond markets, currencies and foreign exchange, trade finance, and treasury which all add deep editorial insight and analysis to the headlines.
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Eurekahedge is the world’s largest independent data provider and research house focusing on alternative investments. We are headquartered in Singapore and have representative offices in New York and London. We maintain coverage on over 25,000 alternative funds globally. Our global alternative research covers hedge funds, funds of funds, private equity funds, Islamic funds, real estate funds, long-only absolute return funds and enhanced equity funds (130/30) and, socially responsible investment funds.

MALAYSIA SME™ Newspaper - “The SME Paper” - is the first and only paper serving the SME community in Malaysia. Dedicated to SMEs, this fortnightly newspaper covers news, updates, developments and events that are relevant to SMEs. The paper has been designed to provide SMEs with better access to markets, new technologies, networking and an improved business environment. With such a paper, readers can now savour the insights, analysis and in-depth interviews and coverage of various SME developments, activities and initiatives. A total of 50,000 complimentary audited copies are circulated fortnightly to SMEs, Government Ministries and Agencies, Associations and Chambers of Trade and Commerce, MNCs, GLCs and PLCs. The paper is also available for sale at bookstores and newsstands nationwide.

MONEY COMPASS is the ultimate personal Financial Planning and Management magazine in Mandarin published by Universal Media Publishers (M) Sdn Bhd. The magazine provides information on effective personal financial strategies and also features the importance of professional approach in financial planning and attitude towards interpreting latest business and market trends. Money Compass is not simply a financial publication but serves as an effective platform for industry practitioners to share their professional services as well as introduce relevant products to benefit the public through various events.

Oxford Business Group (OBG), a global publishing, research and consultancy firm, publishes economic intelligence on the markets of Africa, Middle East, Asia and Eastern Europe. OBG offers comprehensive analysis of macroeconomic and sectoral developments, including banking, capital markets, energy, infrastructure, industry and insurance. The group’s acclaimed economic and business reports are the leading source of local and regional intelligence, while its online economic briefings provide up-to-date in-depth analysis. OBG’s consultancy arm offers tailor made market intelligence and advice to firms operating in these markets and those looking to enter them.

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