Zeti Akhtar Aziz: Globalisation of Islamic finance services – opportunities and challenges Speech by Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz, Governor of the Central Bank of Malaysia, at the Fifth IFSB Summit: Session 1: Globalisation of Islamic Finance Services – Opportunities and Challenges, Amman, Jordan, 13 May 2008. *  *  *  This decade has seen the financial globalisation of Islamic finance gain significant momentum. While the early development of Islamic finance was domestic centric, its internationalisation is now manifested by increased cross border flows, greater participation in international Islamic financial markets, the increased presence of Islamic financial institutions in new jurisdictions and more recently, the increased number of Islamic financial institutions which have shareholders from multiple jurisdictions. This trend has strengthened the international economic and financial interlinkages between nations bringing with it mutually reinforcing gains. Financial globalisation has essentially been facilitated by the more rapid pace of liberalisation, the advancement in the information and communications technology, and the significant progress achieved in the development of the international financial infrastructure. This trend has also been reinforced by the search for higher returns and the need to diversify risks. In the current international financial environment of increased uncertainties, this trend has become even more pronounced prompting investors to venture into new asset classes and markets that provide stability. The globalisation of Islamic financial services With the increased significance of the international dimension of Islamic finance, the financial landscape has been dramatically transformed with more diverse players and a more competitive environment.
BIS Review 59/2008  3  In relation to this, Malaysia has taken a three-prong strategic initiative to promote greater mutual respect of the Shariah views. The first is to recognise the principle of mutual respect in Shariah opinions issued in other jurisdictions by a recognized Shariah committee for transactions undertaken in Malaysia. In addition to the key role of a centralized Shariah Advisory Council as the reference point for all Shariah matters in Islamic finance, Malaysia welcomes Shariah rulings by other Shariah committees that are deemed to be deduced through generally accepted rigorous principles, processes and rules. The second initiative is to have strong resource foundation supported by a pool of qualified and competent Shariah talent, as well as to accord more emphasis on extensive Shariah research in Islamic finance. Given the rapid global growth of Islamic finance, there is an urgent need to meet the talent demand for Shariah scholars with strong interest in the strategic development of the Islamic finance industry. From the supply side, the International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF) established in 2006 has made significant progress with more than 1000 registered students in its professional Islamic finance certification. It also has 28 PhD students and has recently launched a Masters Programme in Islamic finance. The Islamic Banking and Finance Institute Malaysia (IBFIM) also offers a structured, modular training solutions for Shariah advisers focusing on practical and operational aspects of Islamic banking and takaful.