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Malaysia is well placed to weather the global financial crisis, well capitalised and with adequate liquidity, Bank Negara Malaysia governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz told the Oxford Business Group (OBG), a global publishing, research and consultancy firm. She said several years of reforms, institutional development and capacity building, continuous efforts to enhance corporate governance and risk management standards and practices had significantly strengthened Malaysia’s banking system.

OBG is to publish The Report: Malaysia 2009, the latest of its annual business guides, with a comprehensive review of the country’s economy.

Ellina Badri & Racheal Lee Mei Nyee reported on 16 February that BNP Paribas Islamic targets USD 500 mn assets this year.

Angelia Chin-Sharpe is BNP Paribas Investment Partners Malaysia and Brunei country head. Chin-Sharpe said that its current global assets under management and advisory for the Islamic business division stood at USD 500 mn. It intended to grow this to USD 2.5 bn in the next two years and is keen to work with takaful companies to provide them with investment solutions. Further BNP is planning an ETF.

Racheal Lee Mei Nyee reported on 16 February in The Edge Daily, that Nomura Islamic Asset Management Sdn Bhd plans to launch its first product by the second half of this year for the Malaysian market before venturing into the Gulf and other Asian regions, its managing director Toru Nakano said.

The company had set a rather conservative target of USD 1 bn (RM3.6 billion) worth of funds under management within five years. The conventional division currently manages more than USD 1 bn of funds, which are invested both locally and overseas. The Nomura Group had had a presence in the Middle East for 35 years, it was yet to be familiar with Islamic finance and asset management.

Racheal Lee Mei Nyee reported on 16 February in The Edge Daily, that Aberdeen Islamic Asset Management Sdn Bhd aims with the new licence to approach retail investors and launch funds, which it could not do under the conventional licence. The company is seeking seed funding from institutional investors first and look at retail funds only later.

Gerald Ambrose is managing director of Aberdeen Asset Management Sdn Bhd.

Ellina Badri reported in The Edge Daily about the memorandum of understanding between Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd and Bank Muamalat Indonesia Bhd for the distribution of Islamic trust products.

Islamic trusts involve investments made following syariah principles and asset distribution according to Islamic rules of succession. The range of Islamic trust products include will-writing and estate administration services, and waqf, or a gift of property for religious or charitable purposes.

PLUS Expressways Bhd, Malaysia’s largest toll-road operator, plans to sell RM 1 bn, 5-year Sukuk to help repay maturing debt and finance expansion projects. Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd and CIMB Islamic Bank Bhd supports the sale of the Sukuk. The company aims to raise RM 350 mn in the coming months to refinance debt maturing in June and to raise another RM 200 mn in the second half of the year to fund a road project in Indonesia.

Joyce Goh reported on 9 April in The Edge Daily, that Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) launches qualification in Islamic finance.

CIMA’s new qualification comprises four modules: Islamic commercial law; Islamic banking and takaful; Islamic capital markets and instruments; and accounting for Islamic financial institutions.

CIMA’s director of education is Robert Jelly. CIMA divisional director is Sopiah Suid, CIMA Malaysia's president is Michael Eow.
Deputy Finance Minister attented the signing: Datuk Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah. Dr Mohd Daud Bakar is president and CEO of IIIF.

Source: http://www.theedgedaily.com/cms/content.jsp?id=com.tms.cms.article.Artic...