CIMB is collaborating with the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) and Bursa Malaysia on a FIKRALab pilot to develop a new instrument for the country’s Islamic capital markets, Bernama reported.
The pilot forms part of the SC’s Capital Market Masterplan 2026-2030, aimed at broadening the investment universe for Shariah-compliant funds and providing more ways for these funds to tap into the region’s growing Islamic banking sector.
FIKRALab, launched by the SC as a co-creation and applied research platform, focuses on developing new Islamic capital market products and unlocking Shariah-derived income within mixed-activity groups.
The initiative aligns with CIMB’s Forward30 strategy, which prioritizes Islamic finance as a key growth area. Over half of CIMB’s financing book in Malaysia is already Shariah-compliant, while CIMB Niaga in Indonesia is in the process of converting its Islamic banking unit into a full-fledged Islamic bank.
CIMB Group CEO Novan Amirudin said the pilot will allow the bank to introduce new Shariah-compliant structures for investors with Islamic mandates, supporting Malaysia’s efforts to strengthen innovation, resilience, and competitiveness in the Islamic capital market.
