The players should seize the opportunity to increase interactions towards finding the right partners and exploring strategies and that are able to capitalise on tax incentives and other operational flexibilities accorded under MIFC to position Malaysia as an international centre of origination and issuance of Islamic financial instruments, fund and wealth management, Islamic financial activities in international currencies and takaful and retakaful businesses. Thirdly, KLIIFEX 2006 also provides opportunities to present relevant, pertinent and timely information on Islamic finance to different levels of key stakeholders. In the era where customers are becoming more discerning and demanding greater product differentiation and value added services, it is imperative for the Islamic financial institutions to provide information that is beyond the features of the specific product. The information must be timely, easily comprehensible and at an appropriate depth so as to comply with the disclosure requirements required under the corporate governance practices for Islamic financial transactions as well as to facilitate comparability of products by the consumers. It is our collective responsibility to enhance the public's understanding and appreciation on the features of Islamic banking and takaful products and the Shariah wisdom associated with them. All players need to capitalize on these initiatives for the financial industry to achieve sustainable success and unleash the potential gains of the Islamic finance in Malaysia and abroad. I wish that the KLIIFEX 2006 and subsequent years will be the platform to fully realise the essence and aspirations and propagations that I have mentioned earlier.

Communication and direct interface with these key stakeholders will advance towards effective dissemination of information to promote greater awareness and appreciation on Islamic finance to create a more literate society on the virtues and benefits of Islamic banking and finance. The organising of KLIIFEX 2006 has some embedded key values and essence that need to be strengthened moving forward. The most significant is the strong alliance among the players within the industry as well as with the relevant institutions including educational, training and research institutions, knowledge centres and other professional bodies in promoting the development of the industry. Islamic finance will achieve greater heights with the collaborative efforts of all relevant parties, especially those outside the industry. The existence of these networks and linkages is a catalyst towards strengthening the landscape for future innovations and advancements in Islamic banking and finance at the domestic and international fronts. The second essence of KLIIFEX 2006 is the involvement of international players, particularly with the participation of foreign exhibitors in this year's event. As the cross border trades and international Islamic finance activities intensify, strong interlinkages among the domestic and international players are crucial. Leveraging on the significant inroads and growing global recognition enjoyed by Malaysian players, this event will accord opportunities for the players to understand each other's strength and capabilities that would lead to more strategic alliance in the area of Islamic finance. This is certainly relevant in our effort to enhance the position of Malaysia as an international Islamic financial centre (MIFC).