IslamicFinance.de

Six Malaysian Islamic banks have agreed to jointly develop a waqf fund which focuses on projects in four areas — economic empowerment, education, health and investment.
The banks are namely: Affin Islamic Bank Bhd, Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd, Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd, Bank Kerjasama Rakyat Malaysia Bhd (Bank Rakyat), Maybank Islamic Bhd and RHB Islamic Bank Bhd . They have signed a Waqf Fund Strategic Collaboration Agreement.

Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd is aiming to grow its mobile banking customer base from currently 900,000 users to two million by the year 2019. This is part of the bank’s strategic collaboration with US-based global business and technology consulting company Cognizant to develop fintech products within the network of Bank Islam’s. The banks digital banking segment accounts for less than 5% of its non-fund based income and the bank plans to increase this figure to 10%.
Bank Islam chief executive officer Khairul Kamarudin said the bank expected to roll out at least one fintech product related to retail banking by the second quarter of 2018. The bank planned to develop fintech products targeted at the retail banking and small and medium enterprise segments. “Together with Cognizant, we shall identify suitable fintech products that allow better customer engagement, to be submitted to Bank Negara’s regulatory sandbox,” he said.

Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd said the proposed move to allow developers to provide loans to house buyers will not have a severe impact on the bank, as it will continue to focus on its target market.
“For us, we don’t see any reduction in (our) approval rate, mainly because our target market remained stable,” its deputy CEO Khairul Kamarudin told reporters after launching the bank’s Visa Infinite Business Credit Card-i (business card-i) here yesterday. “Our target market has always been the middle income (segment) and we will continue focusing on our target market and we are seeing the same approval rate (going forward)”. Khairul said the bank’s approval rate last year was 70%, and slightly better this year at 71%, to date. He also said the bank has not experienced high loan rejections despite the current uncertain economic conditions. “People (borrower) who are eligible last year are also eligible this year. For the ones who have their applications get rejected are maybe for the ‘high ticket’ properties,” he added, noting that the bank is more focused on providing loans for affordable housing.

The merger negotiations between Bank Muamalat and Malaysia Building Society Bhd (MBSB) is going on very well and smoothly, says Bank Muamalat Chairman Tan Sri Dr Munir Majid. He said there was no conclusion yet but the progress, thus far, was good. "We will still have to report to Bank Negara on what we have achieved by year-end, after which we will proceed to the next stage," he said at a 'Charity Free Market - Back to School' programme, organised by the bank.

Bank Negara Malaysia gave its approval to Bank Muamalat and MBSB to begin merger talks on Sept 30, a move that could pave the way for the creation of the countrys biggest standalone Islamic bank.
The central bank required the merger negotiations to be finalised within three months from the date of the approval. It was reported earlier that assuming the merger talks go through, the combined asset size of the two lenders is estimated to be over RM60 billion, higher than the RM54 billion asset size of BIMB Holdings Bhd, the holding company of Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd, Malaysias largest full-fledged Islamic bank.

Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd is offering a moratorium of up to six months for its financing products' monthly installment payments to flood-affected customers which include Personal Financing-i, Vehicle Financing-i and Home Financing-i. The "Prihatin Programme" aims to ease the financial burden during this emergency situation.

BIMB Holdings Bhd announced it has notified Bank Negara Malaysia that the security for its proposed sukuk will only comprise the legal assignment over the proceeds from the exercise of its proposed warrants. It includes the legal assignment and charge over a sinking fund account into which all proceeds from the exercise of the warrants will be deposited. The exchange has approved the listing of new shares, warrants and rights in relation to its proposed purchase of the remaining 49% stake in Bank Islam.

Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd is noticing opportunities for expansion in Indonesia and Bangladesh, which have sizeable Muslim populations and adequate Islamic banking regulatory policy and supporting infrastructure in place to speed up Shariah-based financing and banking operations.
Managing Director Datuk Seri Zukri Samat stated that although the two countries have been recognized as "very interesting countries" that fit into the bank's expansion plan, such plans would have to take into consideration the current global economic situation and its effect in this region.

BIMB Holdings Bhd had RM62.84mil in net profit on revenue of RM502.26mil mainly because of higher operating results registered by the Islamic financial services group’s subsidiaries – Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd and Syarikat Takaful Malaysia Bhd.
Johan Abdullah, BIMB’s group managing director and chief executive officer, stated that growth in net income was encouraged by higher profit from the continued growth in financing, higher non-fund based income and improved asset quality in Bank Islam, as well as higher profit generated from takaful businesses.