IslamicFinance.de

MAA Group Bhd is caught between Bursa Malaysia’s PN17 rules (practice note) – which requires it to buy another business to lift the status – and the Islamic Services Act 2013, which only allows it to buy a financial services company. MAA has been granted an extension of time of up to July 31, 2014 to submit a regularisation plan to the regulator. The firm is now looking at the takaful market of the Philippines to strengthen its insurance business, and possibly pave the way towards exiting its PN17 status. Chief executive officer Muhamad Umar Swift said that MAA seeks a lifting of the PN17 status by virtue of having a takaful business instead of acquiring another business. He said the group has allocated RM177 million for capitalisation and expansion plans for this year, particularly in the takaful business.