This paper examines the effects of bank financing diversification and market concentration on bank stability in Malaysia. Our study is unique as it investigates these effects within a banking industry that has undergone major restructuring due to the introduction and rapid penetration of a new banking type, Islamic banking. Despite its recent history, Islamic banking, having benefited from strong government support, has grown to command more than a third of the market share. The extensive realignment caused by such industry disruption makes the study of such effects on banking stability highly relevant and interesting. The study investigates 24 conventional and 18 Islamic banks in Malaysia from 2003 to 2019. Our results reveal differences in the above dynamics between the two bank types. Increasing diversification up to a moderate level enhances the stability of conventional banks, but only in less-concentrated markets. Very high diversification levels, however, impair their stability. For Islamic banks, stability seems unresponsive to financing diversification. Furthermore, while market concentration negatively affects the stability of conventional banks, Islamic banks appear to benefit from market concentration. These findings withstand our robustness tests using alternative measures of the key variables. Further examination suggests that these dynamics may have a temporal dimension. Our findings imply that a policy based on a single regulatory framework emphasizing increased diversification and competition across the industry may not be appropriate for all banks. Conventional and Islamic banks may require different regulatory treatment.

Although the well-functioning financial structure is, in general, a key to long-term sustainable economic growth and overall stability, the debate on the relationship between financial development and economic growth remains non-fading. The theoretical literature provides startlingly different and sometimes conflicting views on the finance growth nexus. In addition to this non-fading debate on finance - growth nexus, the degree of banking competition attracted increasing attention in recent years. Banking consolidations, merger and acquisitions, fuelled by overall banking deregulations and the lowering of economic barriers led to structural changes within the banking and financial environment. This prompted concerns among some observers over the potential for monopoly power in local banking markets. In short, there are two major, but contradicting, views. On one side, there are those who support competitive banking structure as it promotes competitive market practices that lead to efficiency. On the other, there are also those who argue that banks with monopolistic power (bank concentration) may spur economic growth as they are more capable of information collection, screening and monitoring borrowers ...

In theory, the cornerstones of Islamic finance are interest avoidance and risk-sharing. In practice, however, Islamic banks seem to be lacking both, particularly the latter. We investigate the interest rate impact on Islamic banks' three most-widely used types of financing instruments - i.e. sale-based, lease-based and risk-sharing-by employing the system GMM estimators on a unique panel data set of 77 Islamic banks from 13 countries over the period 2003-2017. We find that sale- and lease-based financing instruments are negatively correlated with the interest rate and that their exposure is amplified in more developed Islamic banking jurisdictions. Risk-sharing instruments, however, appear to be out of the interest rate domain of influence except in less developed Islamic banking jurisdictions, where the impact is positive. Additionally, the above effects on sale-based and risk-sharing instruments hold true only in the case of full-fledged Islamic banks and Islamic bank subsidiaries, respectively; the impact on lease-based instruments hold under all specifications. The findings imply that predominant use of sale- and lease-based financing instruments in their current form undermines the interest-free and risk-sharing essence of Islamic banking and runs the risk of converging with its conventional counterpart.

This study investigates the impact of bank concentration and financial development on economic volatility for the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries. Employing dynamic panel models, we find no evidence that bank concentration is significantly related to economic volatility when it is entered independently in the models. Meanwhile, financial development lowers economic volatility. Extending the models to include market structure - financial development interaction, we note that the impact of bank concentration on volatility depends on the level of financial development within OIC countries. More specifically, the volatility-increasing effect of bank concentration tends to be moderated by financial development. Accordingly, in the wake of banking sector consolidation in these countries, policymakers and regulators in OIC countries should focus on further developing their financial markets such that the negative consequences of resulting market concentration can be mitigated.

This paper primarily aims to review and analyze a new model for Islamic finance based on Laurence J. Kotlikoff's idea of limited purpose banking (LPB). In addition, this paper aims to highlight, explain and discuss various aspects of LPB and how it suits the original aspirations of pioneer writers in Islamic finance. Based on an extensive literature review, this paper aims to highlight, explain and discuss the reform of the Islamic finance industry based on Kotlikoff's model of LPB. Based on a modified LPB model, Islamic financial institutions could be established to provide specific services with clear aims and objectives. These LPB Islamic financial institutions would operate in a similar way to LPB. As there is no perfect plan, the proposal of this paper is far from being perfect and is open to discussions and improvements. The paper will, hopefully, spark off quite a discussion on the topic; may result in a better understanding of the model; and provide some alternative solutions to the current structurally ill financial system. The paper provides some practical ideas for a better implementation of Shari'ah principles in financial intermediation of the Islamic financial system. Kotlikoff's LPB proposal for reforming the financial system is new and has been directed to the conventional financial system. This paper represents the first attempt to apply his proposal to the Islamic finance industry.

The announcement of the SDGs in 2015 marked a dramatic shift in global development, culminating in an age of international cooperation where the international community bands together to tackle the world's most pressing challenges. This chapter discusses the peculiar connection between Islamic financing and the SDGs and focuses on the possible harmony between these two sectors. It emphasizes the need for significant financial resources to advance sustainable development. Researchers argue it is crucial to bring digital technologies together with Islamic finance to reach sustainable economic growth through innovations like artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and fintech. In addition, the chapter explains core principles of Islamic finance that conform to Shari'ah, which will eradicate poverty and promote conscientious consumption. Islamic finance opens the opportunity for financially and socially excluded groups, poverty reduction, and environmental sustainability through programs like renewable energy projects. However, SDG integration with Islamic finance still poses some challenges, namely, Shari'ah scholars' understanding of the SDGs, regulatory and operational difficulties, the necessity for innovation, and measuring nonfinancial benefits. Through case studies, the authors provide pragmatic insights into successful integration processes as well as practical lessons for the concerned parties. The chapter ends by making policy recommendations grounded on active support by governments, compulsory educational initiatives, new interesting Islamic finance products, and shared efforts (or undertakings) among various stakeholders. In short, this chapter positions Islamic finance as a potent catalyst for SDGs, furnishing a sustainable economic and social development framework while acknowledging and addressing challenges on the integration journey.