Regulatory reforms are underway to help Malaysia’s Islamic banking industry expand further. According to the country’s master plan for capital markets development, Malaysia aims for a 40 per cent share of Islamic domestic financing by the year 2020 and intends to make the industry more international. Therefore, regulators are preparing to release a new legal framework for Islamic finance this year. However, private-sector banks need initiatives of their own, including steps to address a leadership vacuum and to strengthen their overseas strategies.