Malaysia steps up and spearheads by organizing the first Islamic stockbroking service in the world during the early September at Bursa Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. Being among the leading Islamic finance districts globally, Malaysia is the first one to structure the first global end-to-end Islamic exchange program. This program is also the beginning of another investment opportunity for investors and stock brokers all around the world.
This Islamic exchange program Bursa Malaysia-i paves a way for prospective investors to trade and invest in Shariah-binding investment products through a program that also complies with the Shariah law. Also, in this program, the complete stock exchange services such as trading, depository, clearing, and settlement are acknowledged and combined. This Bursa Malaysia-i investment platform welcomes Malaysian and foreign investors who are looking for another ideal way to make their money grow.
According to Bursa Malaysia chief executive officer (CEO) Tajuddin Atan, the objective for setting up Bursa Malaysia-i is to provide an ideal market for people to invest on Shariah-binding products. This program is also a great way to promote and support investment products as well as services under the Islamic financial market. With these objectives and goals, Malaysia then aspires to make its country as the outstanding marketplace for Islamic and Shariah-compliant investment products.
Presently, Bursa Malaysia’s market capitalization that is associated with Shariah-compliant investment products amount to around 1.1 trillion Malaysian Ringgits or $266 billion. This hefty amount is two-thirds of Bursa Malaysia’s overall market capitalization, which is 1.6 trillion Malaysian Ringgits or $387 billion. Regarding this financial information, Malaysia is recognized as an outstanding financial district in the Islamic global market.
The investment products included in the Bursa Malaysia-i program are the following:
. i-ETFs or exchange traded funds compliant with the Shariah law
. i-Indices or indices compliant with the Shariah law
. i-REITs or Real Estate Investment Trusts that are compliant with the Shariah law
. i-Stocks or Islamic stocks compliant with the Shariah law (73% of Bursa Malaysia’s listed stocks)
. exchange traded sukuk or Islamic bonds
Since 1997, the overall market capitalization of Islamic exchange has been increasing at a hefty 363%. Also, Bursa Malaysia’s sukuk or Islamic bond market occupies around 50% of the worldwide Islamic bond outstanding.
According to Amirsham Abdul Aziz, Bursa Malaysia’s chairman, there is growth and progress taking place when it comes to investing based on value and ethics. This value and ethics-based investing attitude most likely promotes the demand for financial and investment solutions that are based and compliant with the Shariah law. This also results to the demand for Islamic investment products and services globally.
Furthermore, Bursa Malaysia’s chairman Amirsham Abdul Aziz has observed that in a global and Malaysian view scope, the value and ethics-based investment attitude as influenced by the Shariah law is taking place in the levels of retail banking and higher financial institutions. Regarding this, Bursa Malaysia-i will accommodate investors that are seeking ethical and value-based investments.
Amirsham Abdul Aziz also stressed that this Bursa Malaysia-i is not an end itself, but a means for essential financial developments to occur in Malaysia’s Islamic financial market. He also said that Bursa Malaysia will continue developing Malaysian capital flows and financial market accessibility by building an infrastructure focused on such aim. When this is made into a reality, foreign investors will have a direct and hassle-free entry in the market. This aim can also result to the mutual recognition and connection of market regulators.
This Bursa Malaysia-i platform also allows for the development of Shariah-binding financial tools to support foreign investors, as well as their knowledge about Malaysian Ringgit. This also results to the introduction, promotion and trading of US$-MYR futures.
Investors who wish to venture on this Bursa Malaysia-i platform have options to utilize the recent end-to-end Shariah-binding investment facility it has through these Malaysian Shariah-binding financial institutions or their associates abroad.