Journal Article

The paper discusses the currents that led to the 2007-2009 financial crisis. We discuss the crisis in a historical context and present evidence regarding the incidence and unit price of risk. Our results show that the unit price of risk prior to the subprime crisis is comparable to the price of risk prior to the great depression and similar to the price of risk at onset of the technology bubble. We then discuss global imbalances, the associated risks with regard to international optimal allocation of capital, and arrangements to minimize problems of global imbalances.

Secondary markets are vital for the development of Islamic capital markets (ICMs) (Aziz, 2007). They facilitate the reselling of securities among investors, thus adding liquidity to these instruments (Mishkin, 2004: 26-27). Besides this basic role, secondary markets assist in reducing average cost of capital; bringing about a rational representation of the pricing of securities in primary as well as secondary markets; facilitating the exchange of investment risks; evaluating the performance of private and public sector, and mitigating information asymmetry (Ahmed, 1995; Al-Eshkar, 1995; El-Gari, 1993; Mishkin, 2004). However, secondary market trading of Islamic securities involves various issues. One of the greatest concerns is the lack of standardization, or at least harmonization, of ICM products. There are also conflicting resolutions, standards and individual fatwas (Islamic legal opinions) on the tradability of Islamic securities within the industry. It is feared that this creates confusion in the industry and may hinder the overall development of the ICM (Cox, 2005; Shaharuddin et al., 2012). Given the importance and concerns regarding the ICM, this study aims at investigating the vital issue of tradability of Islamic securities from the fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) perspective.

This paper discusses the challenges in measuring the gaps and developing human capital to cater for the booming of Islamic financial services industry. While the need for highly trained manpower in the Islamic financial services industry is well-acknowledged, the root of the problem is primarily due to skills mismatch within the Islamic finance industry. This paper proposes a holistic approach to human capital development as the fundamental solution to the skills mismatch within the financial services industry, Islamic and conventional alike. The significant contribution of this paper lies in the competency model which is universal in nature. Programmes run by institutions such as INCEIF, IIUM, IIU Islamabad, IRTI are complementing each other in producing well-balanced and competent manpower for the Islamic financial services industry. Strong government support, effective regulatory agencies, good corporate governance are among the necessary prerequisites. The marriage between the industry and the academia should take the leadership role. We have at the end of the paper proposed a practical action plan. We conclude with a strong call for immediate action to leverage our richly endowed resources so that the Islamic financial services industry could once again lead the world and not remain as a follower.

The paper assesses the transmission of foreign inflationary disturbances for Malaysia. Using quarterly data from 1971 to 2003, we form a four-variable vector error correction model (VECM) consisting of domestic prices, US prices, Ringgit exchange rate and relative interest rate. Apart from the full-sample analysis, recursive and rolling regressions are adopted to examine potential changes in inflation transmission from the US to Malaysia. As a basis for inferences, we rely on the speed of adjustments estimates as well as the significance of lagged first-differenced terms of the VECM. The results unequivocally suggest significant spillover of US inflationary disturbances to Malaysia in the short run regardless of the estimation periods. However, the speed of adjustment estimates for domestic prices tend to decline or turn insignificant when recent observations are added. Our findings demonstrate that inflation transmission across nations ought not to be cast in the light of exchange rate regimes alone. Indeed, the degree of capital mobility may have played a more dominant role.

The paper is a critical examination of the recent judicial and regulatory developments in Malaysia which saw the transition of absolution (ibra') from a discretionary power of the creditor to a mandatory rebate governed by the Central Bank's regulations. It compares and contrasts the Malaysian Regulations on ibra' with the resolutions issued by the Council of the Islamic Fiqh Academy and offers a critical evaluation of juristic opinions on ibra' and da' wata'jjal. The jurisprudential methods of analogy (qiyas) and juristic preference (istihsan) are employed to examine the application of ibra' to long-term home financing contracts. The paper argues that claiming full credit price upon termination of contract due to early settlement or default is not fair to the customers of Islamic banks. The paper concludes that a mandatory ibra' provided by the regulatory authorities such as central banks is different from the controversial conditional ibra' stipulated by the contracting parties.

This study seeks to examine the use of Accounting Information Systems (AIS) by ZBMS Sdn. Bhd., and it's contribution to the knowledge management and strategic role of the organisation. ZBMS is a company that registered in Kuala Lumpur and operate in construction industry. The company used automated AIS known as Contract Plus Financial & Project Accounting package commercially developed by a private company (ZYXW). Wide variety of people that involve in the company's operation within and outside the organisation uses accounting information generated by this system for decision-making. Based on input provided by operational level managers, the Contract Plus software produces monthly projects' income statements, balance sheets and statement of changes in financial position for the strategic and tactical managers to plan, control and make decision on the resources allocation. The role-played by AIS enhanced the organisations' accounting functions, and add information value. The automated AIS speed up the process to generate financial statements and overcome human weaknesses in data processing. The system enhances management of resources and the process of monitoring, control and prediction of ZBMS business for better future. With the advent of AIS, the growth of tacit and explicit knowledge could be seen from the intensive training of personnel at the early stage of system implementation to the development and use of company's own manual in training of new staff and assisting the job of existing staff. Given the benefit of AIS to ZBMS, this paper recommended that the source of data should be fully automated, and the existing system should be upgraded through computerise the pre-tendering and post-tendering of projects to enable AIS integration.

Issues in the reporting of Islamic financial instruments have been discussed since early 2000. Among these issues is the debate about whether the accounting standards promulgated by the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) or the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) should be adopted for reporting Islamic financial transactions. Abdel Karim (2001) explained the need to implement the AAOIFI accounting standards as these standards specifically cater for the unique characteristics of the contracts that govern the operations of Islamic banks. The IFRS, on the other hand, do not have any specific reporting standards for the unique contracts adopted by Islamic banks but report the transactions based on the accounting principle of substance over form.

Cryptocurrencies are digital currencies void of any support from regulatory body that is currently in vogue as a medium of exchange and an investment security. This paper examines the accounting treatment for cryptocurrency from the perspective of IFRS and AAOIFI accounting standards and propose actions to standard setters on the best way to treat the Crypto transactions in accounting reports. A proper accounting treatment will allow for a fair reporting of crypto related transactions and facilitate users of financial statements to make objective assessment of this new invention. A content analysis was conducted to review all major accounting standards issued by accounting standards setting bodies for possible accounting treatment for cryptocurrencies. To better understand the issue in practice, an analysis of accounting treatment of cryptocurrencies by 2 companies also was conducted. This study found that there is no suitable accounting standard that could objectively be applied for cryptocurrencies. For example, from the perspective of the current accounting standards, cryptocurrencies match the definition of inventory if it is used as a commodity for broker-trader and intangible asset for others respectively. It is suggested that there an urgent need for the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) to comprehensively develop accounting standard for cryptocurrency, specifically to develop a specific category for this type of assets to allow a standard treatment for cryptocurrency and fill the gap in the IFRS.

An action having an acceleration term in addition to the usual velocity term is analyzed. The quantum mechanical system is directly defined for Euclidean time using the path integral. The Euclidean Hamiltonian is shown to yield the acceleration Lagrangian and the path integral with the correct boundary conditions. Due to the acceleration term, the state space depends on both position and velocity, and hence the Euclidean Hamiltonian depends on two degrees of freedom. The Hamiltonian for the acceleration system is non-Hermitian and can be mapped to a Hermitian Hamiltonian using a similarity transformation; the matrix elements of this unbounded transformation is explicitly evaluated. The mapping fails for a critical value of the coupling constants.

The Euclidean action with acceleration has been analyzed in Ref. 1, and referred to henceforth as Paper I, for its Hamiltonian and path integral. In this paper, the state space of the Hamiltonian is analyzed for the case when it is pseudo-Hermitian (equivalent to a Hermitian Hamiltonian), as well as the case when it is inequivalent. The propagator is computed using both creation and destruction operators as well as the path integral. A state space calculation of the propagator shows the crucial role played by the dual state vectors that yields a result impossible to obtain from a Hermitian Hamiltonian. When it is not pseudo-Hermitian, the Hamiltonian is shown to be a direct sum of Jordan blocks.

A bank is a financial intermediary that generates income from its fund-based and fee-based products and services. As for the former, the bank has to share the profits with parties from whom it sources funds such as depositors and shareholders to provide financing facilities for its customers. Unlike its fund-based products and services, the bank can recognise any profit generated from its fee-based products and services solely as its own income without having to share it with other parties as it does not utilise others' money in offering such products and services.

This research aims to compare the regulatory capital instruments for Islamic banking institutions (IBIs) - in particular the qualifying Additional Tier 1 (AT1) capital instruments - as defined by Basel III, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) and IFSB-15 (issued by the Islamic Financial Services Board). Principally, the research examines the Shari'ah issues, especially related to subordination, arising in equity-based contracts when used for structuring AT1 capital instruments. In particular, it examines the mudarabah sukuk issued by the Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) in 2012. The study finds that the most appropriate Shari'ah contract that would be suitable for structuring AT1 capital instruments would be musharakah. The present study is considered an original attempt in examining an under-researched topic relating to Basel III and its Shari'ah perspective. The study will be an important reference point to Islamic banks when structuring AT1 capital instruments.

For Muslims zakat is obligatory and different jurisdictions in the world have different mechanisms to administer it. Maldives is a hundred percent Muslim country and zakat administration in the country is unique. As such the objective of the paper is to discuss the zakat administration in Maldives with special reference to zakat al mal and to discuss the challenges facing the existing way of zakat administration. The paper also includes ways to overcome the challenges. No literature on this area in Maldives could be found and as such reference to primary materials such as unpublished statistics, reports, brochures have been made. It is hoped that this paper will encourage further research on this area in Maldives.

Islamic financial institutions (IFIs) are required to establish a Shari'ah Governance Framework (SGF) to strengthen their Shari'ah compliance mechanism and ensure that all relevant IFI regulations are in line with Shari'ah rules and principles. Effective implementation of the Shari'ah-compliance function will further promote stakeholder confidence, as well as the integrity of IFIs, by reducing Shari'ah non-compliance risks. This study aims to examine the internal control framework developed by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) and explore the extent to which it can be incorporated in the Shari'ah-compliance function of IFIs. This study adopts a qualitative method of inquiry, utilizing the inductive method and content analysis to build comprehensive knowledge that will assist in exploring the framework of COSO methodology and the extent to which it can be adopted by IFIs. The findings indicate that the existing frameworks of Shari'ah governance, whether that of the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) or Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), need to be further developed. Therefore, the adoption of COSO methodology in the internal Shari'ah audit of IFIs, as suggested by AAOIFI, is not only possible but desirable. The study also finds that the COSO framework places the highest priority on risk management in that it makes it an integral part of the decision making process in all the institution's activities. As a result, incorporating the comprehensive COSO risk management structure within the Shari'ah-compliance function will enhance risk management in IFIs.

Despite the significant growth in Islamic economies and the increasing number of Muslim youths inclining digital services, empirical-based research addressing the adoption of digital Islamic services is still limited. ZakaTech is a new phrase that has recently emerged as a modern term describing novel technologies adopted by zakat institutions; yet, it has been largely neglected in the literature. Therefore, this study aims to provide an integrated model that scrutinizes the determinants of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) of ZakaTech, combined with social cognitive theory (SCT), in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis where social distancing is the norm in conducting economic activities. Based on cross-national evidence from two Muslim-majority countries, a total of 1,006 valid responses were collected from zakat payer users in Saudi Arabia and Egypt using a Web-based survey. To validate the research model and draw significant insights, SmartPLS structural equation modeling was used. By analyzing both Saudi and Egyptian samples, the authors found that all UTAUT constructs are statistically significant, except for effort expectancy in Egypt. The effects of self-efficacy and social isolation on ZakaTech adoption are supported across both countries. Trust in technology reduces users' inherent risks and increases their likelihood of adopting ZakaTech services in Saudi Arabia, while this is not the case in Egypt. However, the study revealed that trust in electronic-zakat systems (EZSs) is a vital predictor for mitigating perceived risk among Egyptian users of ZakaTech, but it is not the case in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, significant gender differences were found between males and females in the adoption of such digital services in both countries, particularly regarding self-efficacy, trust in EZSs, social isolation and social influence.

The dual-banking system in Malaysia is expected to put Islamic banks at a disadvantage due to the latter's over-dependency on fixed rate asset financing such as al-bay' bithaman qjil and murabuhah. When interest rates are rising, rational product choice among non-Muslim customers is expected to produce a shifting effect that may frustrate deposit mobilization and at the same time able deplete an Islamic bank's earnings. The shifting effect occurs when NMC either transfer deposits from Islamic banks to conventional banks, or, in a period of declining interest rates, opt for loans rather than for deferred sale financing. These shifts occur solely due to pecuniary incentives sought by NMC as the suppliers of deposits or demanders of funds. During an economic slowdown normally accompanied by falling interest rates, the shifting effect is expected to increase idle balances as the demand for fixed rate asset financing declines. Thus, in the choice of banking products, it is argued that NMCs will be the main beneficiaries of the dual-banking system since they are open to more options than the Muslim customers (MC). Consistent with these expectations, we find that profit margins of Bank Islam Malaysia suffered a decline between the 1996-1997 period of rising interest rates while interest margins of conventional banks showed a rising trend.

One of the basics of the regularity of the Islamic financial industry is that it is subject to many legal and regulatory protections that directly or indirectly affected the progress of its financing and investment activities. The Islamic capital market sector, especially sukuk, is one of the most affected products. However, the tradability of sukuk at the international and local levels may be hindered by differences in the legal system and jurisprudential schools of thought, which may lead to a lack of certainty and a defect in the applicable laws. There is no doubt that investing in sukuk requires providing reassurance and confidence from investors on the abundance of the necessary protection from the law, the supervisory apparatus, the unity of the regulatory framework and its adequacy with the nature of sukuk. In this context, this research comes to study the legal and supervisory system applied to sukuk in Malaysia and how to it help sactualize sukuk-holders� protection. A descriptive and analytical approach were employed to study the status of this system and the relevant data and sources, along with its analysis, to derive the elements of protection for sukuk holders.The research finds that the most important objectives of the legal and regulatory system lie in gaining the confidence of investors, providing reassurance, transparency, and consolidating justice, the difference in laws and the instability of regulatory systems are stumbling blocks to all that. It is noteworthy that the development of the Islamic finance industry is in urgent need to either have its own regulatory framework or to improve the existing ones to address challenges or reduce them. It should be given competitive opportunities with the conventional financial industry on an equal footing.

An abstract is written in Arabic.

According to the Islamic financial services industry stability report published by IFSB in 2019, the takaful contributions in Southeast Asia were estimated to have reached US$ 3.86 billion in 2017, and Malaysia ranked first with total contributions of US$ 2.77 billion, which represented 70% of the total takaful contributions in Southeast Asia. In light of this, this paper examines the development of takaful industry at the global level, the emergence and development of the takaful industry in Malaysia, the contractual relationships governing the practice of takaful in Malaysia, and the main factors which make Malaysia as one of the pioneering models in takaful in Southeast Asia region. In terms of methodology, the research adopts a qualitative approach employing the inductive method to trace primary and secondary data on the topic and the descriptive method to describe the Malaysian experience in Islamic insurance. The research also adopts the analytical method to evaluate the viability of takaful in the Malaysian context. The study found that the developments of takaful in Malaysia are very promising due to the abundant encouragement provided by the regulators. The research has also concluded that the success of the Malaysian experience is due to the legal and regulatory frameworks, the infrastructure support system that facilitates and govern the work of takaful operators, and the healthy competitive environment among the takaful companies. These contributed to enhancing growth rate and making Malaysia a pioneering model in Islamic insurance in the Southeast Asia region.

Technological revolution, avalanche-growing financial technology (FinTech) companies, customers waiting for unlimited service, and regulations based on data sharing point to a new era in banking. The new era, open banking, provides an expansion of the scope of banking services offered in a wide geography from European Union countries to China, from the United States to South American countries. In the new period, it is aimed to provide more innovative, inclusive and practical services by sharing the authorized data of customers with FinTech companies. It is seen that the countries show significant differences and similarities in their open banking practices. In this descriptive study, the steps taken in the United Kingdom, where the concept was first implemented, and in Turkey, where the relevant legislation is still under preparation, together with the studies carried out by the regulatory institutions in the world's two largest economies, the United States of America and the People's Republic of China, are chronologically. Throughout the study, open banking is evaluated mainly through the payment initiation service and account information service and their providers.

The sources of collagens and gelatins are recently being questioned because it sourced from porcine or non-halal slaughtered animals. There are also concerns regarding the transfer of diseases from animal sources of collagen to human users. This study aims to propose an alternative source of collagen using recombinant collagen-like protein (halal-based) and to analyze factors contribute to the probability of using this alternative source of collagen among consumers in Malaysia.