Malaysia bid for Shariah legal hub seen challenging

The Law Harmonisation Committee is working to encourage use of Malaysian rules for cross-border Islamic deals instead of English law. Regulations are being amended to remove loopholes that discourage Shariah deals to make the nation the preferred place to settle disputes. Malaysia still has a single set of laws that govern both Shariah-compliant and non-Islamic commercial contracts, and they can sometimes render Islamic deals less competitive. However, Malaysian law is unlikely to displace English legislation in other deals, although it may find some acceptance among offshore investors who have businesses or investments in the country.