The strategy has been to institute the entire financial system chain to ensure its smooth functioning thereby contributing to a balanced allocation of financial and economic resources within the economy, and a greater diversification of risks within the system, and thus achieving overall stability of the Islamic financial system. The initiatives taken include building the required financial institutions, robust regulatory and supervisory framework, effective legal and Shariah framework, the financial markets, effective payment and settlement system, reinforced by the development of the skill talents, and putting in place the mechanism for the operation of the Central Bank. The development of this chain has promoted greater linkages and integration within the domestic Islamic financial system. Attention has therefore been given to the development of the key structural components of the system, comprising the Islamic banking industry, the takaful industry, the non-banking institutions and the Islamic interbank and capital markets. These respective components of the Islamic financial system have now become highly integrated and interdependent. This more diversified financial infrastructure has also enhanced the efficiency in the functioning of the overall financial system. The development of the Islamic financial system in Malaysia started with the establishment of Tabung Haji in 1969 as the first Islamic savings institution. This was followed by the establishment of full-fledged Islamic banking and non-banking institutions. A year after the establishment of the first Islamic Bank in 1983, a takaful or Islamic insurance company was established under the Takaful Act.

Zeti Akhtar Aziz: Metamorphosis into an international islamic banking and financial hub Special address by Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz, Governor of the Central Bank of Malaysia, at the ASLI’s World Islamic Economic Forum, Kuala Lumpur, 1 October 2005. *  *  *  Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen, I am honoured to deliver this luncheon address on the occasion of the inaugural World Islamic Economic Forum organised by the Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute (ASLI). Allow me to take this opportunity to share with you Malaysia’s experience in evolving a comprehensive domestic Islamic financial system that has now become an increasingly more internationally-integrated financial system, thereby strengthening our economic and financial inter-linkages with the rest of the world. In evolving the Islamic financial system, important considerations include the development of a system that is able to meet the changing requirements of the consumer and business community, that is efficient and competitive, that is safe and sound and that is robust and resilient and able to withstand a more challenging and uncertain world environment. These considerations are vital to ensure the sustainability of the system not only as a form of financial intermediation in the domestic economy but also as an integral component of the international financial system. Evolving a robust islamic financial system Malaysia has adopted a holistic approach in developing its Islamic financial system. Our initial focus was to develop a comprehensive domestic Islamic financial system.