This month, MIF Monthly speaks exclusively to Syed Moheeb Syed Kamarulzaman, president and CEO of Takaful Ikhlas. He shares his vision for the company, and how the Takaful operator has helped raise the bar for the domestic Takaful industry.

In our cover story, Shabnam Mokhtar reports findings that despite an anticipated slowdown in the banking sector in general, Islamic banking in Malaysia seems set to continue its smooth course.

Aseambankers discusses the lack of qualified professionals and the inevitable battle for talent in Islamic banking. As a direct consequence of the rapid growth in the Shariah compliant landscape in the recent years, the industry faces hurdles in attracting, recruiting and, more importantly, retaining talent.

Also featured in this issue is an interview with Asim Basharullah of Al Rajhi Bank Malaysia. The head of corporate and investment banking shares his thoughts on the Islamic banking landscape in Malaysia as well as his enthusiasm on the growth of Al Rajhi in the past 18 months.

Asharul Huzairi of Bursa Malaysia sets the story straight on the allegation of leniency in Malaysia’s Shariah stock screening methodology and a case study by AmInvestment puts Al-Aqar Capital’s pioneering Sukuk Ijarah under the microscope.

We hope you enjoy reading this month’s issue. If your colleagues, clients or associates are interested in the Malaysian Islamic capital market, please forward this email to them so that they may also enjoy the FREE monthly newsletter.

Should you have any comments, feedback or enquiries, or if you are interested in writing for the newsletter, do get in touch.