IslamicFinance.de

Maybank Islamic Bhd has dimissed speculations that it is in talks with Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd over a potential merger and acqusition (M&A). Its chief executive officer Muzaffar Hisham said the proposed merger of three local financial institutions to create a mega Islamic bank has not prompted Maybank Islamic to rush into M&A for expansion. Muzaffar said Maybank Islamic will continue to focus on its key objective, namely humanising financial services, which has been the driver of the bank’s outstanding track record over the last three to four years. Meanwhile, Muzaffar said Maybank Islamic is optimistic of maintaining its growth momentum in the second half of the year after recording an encouraging performance in the first half.

Dubai Islamic Bank has ruled out seeking a controlling stake in Bank Panin Syariah, and its plans are limited to raising its stake in the Indonesian lender to 40 percent from 25 percent now, its chief executive Adnan Chilwan said. Dubai Islamic bought 2.42 billion shares in the listed sharia-compliant lender in June, its first foray into southeast Asia. In May, the bank said it hoped to reach 40 percent before the end of the year, using its own cash to fund the purchase. Under Indonesian rules, foreign ownership of local lenders requires regulatory approval to go above 40 percent. Last month, Indonesia's financial services authority said it was preparing a five-year industry blueprint that would address foreign ownership limits.

Kazakhstan's Al Hilal Islamic Bank may expand into neighbouring countries as legislative efforts to develop Islamic finance gather pace across the region. Legislation is being redrawn in Kazakhstan, after the first set of Islamic finance rules in 2009 failed to spur much activity. Almaty-based Al Hilal, whose parent is wholly owned by the Abu Dhabi government, is considering increasing its geographical presence as part of its 2015 business plan, chief executive Prasad Abraham said. A draft amendment, currently awaiting discussion in Kazakhstan's parliament, would provide the bank with a clearer framework that could translate into better commercial opportunities, Abraham said.

Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd expects to launch Islamic Private Banking within a year to cater to the growing demand for the service. Chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Redza Shah Abdul Wahid said the bank is currently studying the product concept and expected to complete the framework in the next six months. Mohd Redza signed a memorandum of understanding with the Bank of London and the Middle East to penetrate the new segment in a wholesome approach. He also said that the Bank of London and the Middle East had the expertise in dealing with private banking customers, therefore it was a good opportunity for Bank Muamalat to work together with the bank.

The creation of a mega Islamic bank must fulfill the objectives of being able to undertake international business and facilitate cross border financial flows, said Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz. She said that such a mega bank must also be able to support international trade and cross border investment activity. She was responding to a question about the license for the proposed mega Islamic bank as a result of a merger between CIMB Group Holdings Bhd, RHB Capital Bhd and Malaysia Building Society Bhd. Dr Zeti said Bank Negara wanted to see the internationalisation and enhancement of Malaysia’s financial and economic connectivity with other countries.

A new guide by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has been launched to help banks in Singapore implement environmental, social and governance (ESG) practice into their frameworks and develop sustainable solutions to risks of climate change and resource scarcity. The ESG Integration for Banks: A Guide to Starting Implementation gives advice to financial advisors and lenders in socially responsible banking. The guide maps out ‘how to’ steps for financial institutions in the earlier stages of their ESG journey. It shows them how to manage their risk exposure to unsustainable business practices and lead the trend toward green business.

BIMB Holdings Bhd’s net profit for the second quarter ended June 30 increased 86.4% to RM129.67mil from RM69.58mil a year ago. The banking group's revenue for the period rose 3.8% to RM734.59mil while earnings per share (EPS) for the period stood at 8.68 sen. For the second-half period, the group said as a result of the acquisition of the 49% interest in Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd, the net profit attributable to the shareholders increased by RM109.4mil or 76.1%. Consequently, the EPS for the period under review also increased by 25.8%. To attract deposits, BIMB said greater focus would be placed on individual and retail deposits with new product features.

The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) today launched the Sustainable and Responsible Investment (SRI) Sukuk framework to facilitate the financing of sustainable and responsible investment initiatives. The proposal on the SRI sukuk framework was first announced in the 2014 budget speech.

The launch of the SRI sukuk framework is in line with the initiative set out under the SC’s Capital Market Masterplan 2 to promote socially responsible financing and investment. With the shifts in investor demographics, there are growing concerns over environmental and social impact of business and greater demand for stronger governance and ethics from businesses. The Malaysian capital market is well-positioned to capitalise on these changing trends and facilitate sustainable and responsible investing. ommission Malaysia (SC) today launched the Sustainable and Responsible Investment (SRI) Sukuk framework to facilitate the financing of sustainable and responsible investment initiatives. The proposal on the SRI sukuk framework was first announced in the 2014 budget speech.

Hong Kong's government will hold investor meetings next week for its maiden Islamic bond issue. A meeting will be held in Hong Kong on Monday before one in Singapore on Tuesday, Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday and meetings in Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi and London on Thursday. The AAA-rated government earlier mandated HSBC, Standard Chartered, CIMB Group Holdings and National Bank of Abu Dhabi to arrange the issue. The sukuk ijara issue is expected to be listed on the Hong Kong, Malaysia and Dubai bourses. The sukuk is expected to be denominated in U.S. dollars and have a tenor of five years. Officials have previously said issuance size is expected to be about US$500 million to US$1 billion.

CIMB Islamic, the shariah-compliant unit of Malaysia's second largest bank, is preparing an Islamic bond programme to raise up to RM5 billion ($1.58 billion). The Basel III compliant sukuk programme, assigned a preliminary rating of AA+ by ratings agency MARC, will go towards replacing an existing RM2 billion Tier-2 sukuk and to fund working capital. The securities commission is still finalising approval and CIMB is not expected to issue sukuk from the programme any time soon. The company did not specify the range of maturities or sizes for sukuk under the programme. CIMB is currently in talks with two smaller banks to create a mega-Islamic bank.

The government of Bangladesh has signed a Tk 340 crore ($44 million) loan contract with Islamic Development Bank to install the second submarine cable for the country. The installation may complete by 2016, while Bangladesh entered a consortium in March this year. Monwar Hossain, managing director of Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Ltd (BSCCL), said BSCCL has already paid $19.2 million to the consortium from its own fund. Bangladesh will have to spend a total of $72.5 million for the new cable. The IDB will provide $44 million, while BSCCL will spend $70 million from its own fund. The rate of interest for the loans will be LIBOR+1.35 percent and the loans will have to be repaid in 13 years.

AIA Public Takaful Bhd has declared a total surplus of RM8.5 million for the financial year ended Nov 30, 2013. In a statement, the insurance company said the surplus distribution will involve more than 36,000 certificates under AIA Public, marking the first surplus distribution since the company’s inception three years ago. The distribution will benefit eligible customers who had participated in Takaful products offered by AIA AFG Takaful Bhd and ING Public Takaful Ehsan Bhd, the two companies which had integrated their businesses in March 2014 to form AIA Public. AIA Public said the surplus will be distributed to those who are registered as a customer of AIA Public as at Nov 30, 2013, do not have any outstanding contribution payments and have not made any claims.

Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim today said there was nothing dubious about the out-of-court settlement with regard to the loan of more than RM60 million he took from Bank Islam. He said he had taken court action against the irresponsible people who had slandered him. Khalid made the statement when speaking at the monthly gathering of Selangor government departments. The Port Klang state representative reminded those who were not satisfied with him to lodge reports with Bank Negara for an audit to be carried out and not to act as they pleased. He said he had decided to remain silent as he had to protect the bank’s secrecy practice.

Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) has officially submitted a request to Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority (OJK) to up its stake in Jakarta-listed Bank Panin Syariah (PNBS). It has expressed its intention to increase its ownership in Panin Syariah to 40 percent. DIB currently owns a 24.9 percent stake in Panin Syariah, a subsidiary of private lender Panin Bank (PNBN). The United Arab Emirates lender acquired Panin Syariah’s shares, reportedly worth Rp 251.79 billion (US$21.7 million), in two stages in May this year. The rest of Panin Syariah’s shares are controlled by Panin Bank with 52.5 percent, Hesti Femi Nugraheni with 5.4 percent and the public with 17.2 percent. The OJK expects to complete the talks and issue approval for DIB later this year.

Indonesia is about to get an annual scorecard from Islamic bond investors and the signs are good. The nation’s first dollar sukuk in a year may yield 3.8 percent to 4.5 percent if the tenor is 10 years. That’s less than the 6.125 percent on 2019 global Islamic notes sold last September. Bank Indonesia has added $18 billion to currency reserves over the past year, inflation has almost halved from January and bond risk fell as Joko Widodo fended off legal challenges to his victory in July’s presidential election. Demand for Indonesia’s sukuk will be buoyed by a shortage of global Shariah-compliant securities. The nation’s dollar sukuk due November 2022 returned 17 percent this year, outpacing gains of 9.2 percent and 12 percent for similar notes from Malaysia and Dubai.

Malaysia’s 11 takaful companies should consider merging soon, especially in the general takaful business due to potential limited growth prospects in addition to insurmountable competition especially with the upcoming detariffication of motor and fire insurance in 2016. Apart from new regulatory requirements like the Islamic Financial Services Act 2013 which many companies have difficulties to comply with, takaful products have failed to differentiate itself from conventional insurance products. In addition, limited product offerings by takaful makes conventional insurance more attractive. Nonetheless, other than the regulatory aspects, the synergy offered by a merger would make the company more competitive in addition to having more products to offer.

The domestic Islamic finance asset is expected to continue posting double-digit growth at between 10 per cent to 15 per cent over the next five years, said the Association of Islamic Banking Institutions Malaysia (AIBIM). Products like takaful, will, consumer and corporate products are all maturing and with such maturity level, Islamic finance also grows, said its President Datuk Mohd Redza Shah Abdul Wahid after a briefing on the upcoming Global Islamic Finance Forum (GIFF 2014) here today. GIFF 2014 will be held from September 2 to 4, in Malaysia, discussing key issues in the development of Islamic finance industry. The association today revealed the domestic Islamic finance market share now stands at 24.2 per cent, estimated to be worth RM548 billion.

Malaysia-based International Islamic Liquidity Management Corp (IILM) will raise $790 million through its Islamic bond programme next week, according to a filing with the central bank. The IILM, a consortium of central banks from Asia, the Middle East and Africa, will auction a three-month $390 million sukuk and a six-month $400 million sukuk on Monday Aug. 25. IILM last went to the market in July to re-issue $860 million worth of three-month papers, in order to meet a shortage of highly liquid, investment-grade financial instruments which Islamic banks can trade to manage their short-term funding needs.

Social Islami Bank Limited (SIBL) arranged a Strategic Business Planning Session to evaluate business position and formulate future business strategy of some chosen branches of the bank at its corporate head office in the city recently. Chairman of the Bank Major (Retd.), Dr. Md. Rezaul Haque, was present in the session as the chief guest while Managing Director of the bank, Md. Shafiqur Rahman, presided over the programme.

Malaysia Airports Holdings’ plan to sell perpetual sukuk highlights rising interest in the debt from companies looking to shore up their balance sheets. The manager of all of Malaysia’s 39 airports will hold an investor presentation for the offer on Aug. 25. It will be the nation’s first sale of rated ringgit Islamic bonds with no set maturity following unrated issues by Malaysian Airline System in 2012 and Boustead Holdings in June. Perpetual bonds, which rating companies treat as equity, have been becoming more popular as they allow issuers to raise money without damaging their creditworthiness and offer higher yields to investors. Moreover, it’s more cost efficient because the transaction is tax deductible.