IslamicFinance.de

The World’s oldest Islamic bank has strengthened its leadership to provide sharia-compliant products and services to an even broader market. Simpler, better, faster. These three key words form the cornerstone of a strategy that is seen to propel Kuwait Finance House Malaysia from its present level to a stronger position in the region. Thanks to fundamental adjustments that demonstrate efforts of Kuwait Finance House to grow its Malaysian subsidiary, the outlook for KFH Malaysia has never been better. “After making changes to the management structure in Kuwait, we came to bring the Malaysia arm in line with the group and to make sure that we drive forward to become the dominant player in Southeast Asia,” CEO David Power said.
Groomed as the regional hub for KFH in the Far East, KFH Malaysia had 18 vacant management positions when Power took over. Within a short period, he took steps to make sure that the bank had the right people on board who could assess the problems and come up with short-, medium- and long-term solutions.

Kuwait Finance House (KFH Malaysia) has appointed Datuk Seri Abdul Hamidy Abdul Hafiz as its CEO effective today.
Datuk Jamelah Jamaluddin, who has helmed the bank since 2010 as the CEO, would now assume the role of managing director of Kuwait Finance House (Labuan). The changes were part of the group's overall strategy to restructure its business, strengthen its presence in the Asia-Pacific region by focusing on investment banking and fee-based income. Hamidy will grow KFH Malaysia's banking business and fund-based activities, Jamelah will drive the region's capital market, investment banking and fee-based activities for the group.

Work on the feasibility study on the sukuk origination is set to start this month, after the President Rustam Minnikhanov of the Russian republic of Tatarstan has visited Malaysia in December and the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Kuala Lumpur between the Tatarstan government, the local IFC Linova, Malaysia's Amanah Raya Berhad Group and Kuwait Finance House Malaysia (KFH Malaysia).

Kuwait Finance House (M) Bhd (KFH) has refuted YNH Property Bhd’s claim that it is in a legally binding agreement with the latter and can be made liable for backing out of a deal to purchase Menara YNH, a 45-storey office tower worth RM920mil.

Experts are expecting further drop in Sukuk isssuance in 2009. Local currencies help to support the markets, K. Salman Younis, head of Kuwait Finance House's Asian operations was cited.