2015 Bi
2015 Bi
a n n u a l   r e p o r t   2 0 1 5
                                                                       a n n u a l      r e p o r t   2 0 1 5
Content
  Highlights and Overview                                   Accountability
Insights Others
Bank Muamalats logo and identity are essentially formed by a dynamic line in a continuous motion. The
principal objective of efficiency and dynamism are reflected by this single line. The single line signifies an
efficient, clear and focused vision. This reflects the strong relationship between the bank and its customers.
The dome is a basic design element of Islamic architecture. It is used to signify the place for prayers and shelter.
This represents the products and services that Bank Muamalat can offer to its customers. The five domes are
representative of the five tenets of Islam and the five times Muslims are called to pray. The five points are also
used in relation to the five principles of the Rukun Negara, giving a truly Malaysian objective to its existence.
The linkage of the five domes with a single line signifies networking of Bank Muamalat and the relationship
between Bank Muamalat, customers and its external environment. This networking and togetherness translate
the very meaning of Muamalat itself, which is relationship between mankind.
An hour glass embedded in the centre within the logo design stands for the time which is the essence of a bank.
Investments grow over time. Two colours are used within the logo. Sultan blue, a royal colour is used to provide
a feeling of strength and confidence. Orange is a warm and exciting colour. It gives light and signifies growth.
The orange is used to signify the warmth of Bank Muamalat which is in continuous growth, never static but
always dynamic.
a n n u a l                 r e p o r t         2 0 1 5
2011 Restated
2012 Restated
                                                                                                                                                                                      2013	
                                             2005
2006
2007
2008
2014
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   2015
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________		
Total Shareholders Fund (RM000) 	      523,683 	 	      713,126 	      737,331 	      702,236 	     1,319,131 	                  1,348,286 	            1,401,004 	            1,598,476 	    1,745,576	    1,854,694
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Profit/(Loss) Before Tax (RM000)	       41,251 	 	      103,409 	        64,238 	       44,068 	     142,061 	                    186,785 	              103,006 	              235,963 	      208,284	      121,966
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Profit/(Loss) After Tax (RM000) 	       32,328 	 	        72,520 	       48,138 	       31,951 	       98,834 	                   120,433 	                69,244 	             167,936 	      151,564	       89,280
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Total Assets (RM000) 	              10,269,647 	 	    13,450,636 	   13,808,090 	   14,398,645 	   16,733,420 	                 18,659,940 	           20,504,037 	           21,071,590 	   20,061,690	   22,438,036
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Total Deposits (RM000)	              9,373,971 	 	    12,178,691 	   12,172,868 	   12,447,970 	   14,920,856 	                 16,216,173 	           18,151,087 	           18,744,179 	   17,629,228	   19,544,549
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Total Financing (RM000)	             4,154,021 	 	     5,373,343 	    5,870,585 	    6,427,747 	    7,037,126 	                  7,495,007 	            9,064,271 	           10,352,626 	   11,899,691	   13,414,670
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
No of Branches 	                             42 	 	            43 	           48 	           48 	           49 	                         51 	                   58 	                   59 	           59	          59
No of Service Centres/Kiosk 	                 6 		              6	             3	             5	             6	                           4	                     2	                     7	             7	           7
No of Offshore Branches/Labuan 	              1 		              1	             1	             1	             1	                           1	                     1	                     1	             1	           1
No of Staff 	                             1,145 	 	         1,380 	        1,454 	        1,419 	        1,584 	                      1,763 	                1,929 	                2,099 	        2,135	       1,987
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Return on Asset (%) - Pretax 	              0.45 	 	         0.87 	         0.47 	         0.31 	         0.73 	                       1.06 	                 0.53 	                 1.14 	         1.01	         0.57
Return on Equity (%) - Pretax 	             8.00 	 	        16.72 	         8.86 	         6.12 	        11.24 	                      15.24 	                 7.49 	                15.73	         12.46	         6.78
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Corporate
Information
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chairman
__________________________________
Tan Sri Dato Dr. Mohd Munir Abdul Majid
Members
__________________________________
Dato Sri Che Khalib Mohamad Noh
Dato Mohamed Hazlan Mohamed Hussain
Dato Haji Mohd Redza Shah Abdul Wahid
Haji Mohd Izani Ghani
Hisham Zainal Mokhtar
(resigned w.e.f. 30 June 2014)
Haji Abdul Jabbar Abdul Majid
Tengku Dato Seri Hasmuddin Tengku Othman
Dato Azmi Abdullah
Dato Haji Kamil Khalid Ariff
Azura Othman (appointed w.e.f. 24 April 2015)
COMPANY       SECRETARY
__________________________________
Nora Shikhen Ramli (LS 01587)
REGISTERED          OFFICE
__________________________________
20th Floor, Menara Bumiputra
Jalan Melaka
50100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 603-2615 7069
Fax: 603-2693 3367
AUDITORS
__________________________________
Ernst & Young
Level 23A, Menara Milenium
Jalan Damanlela
Pusat Bandar Damansara
50490 Kuala Lumpur
Asset
Performance
Asset Quality
                                      2011         2012         2013               2014                2015
 COMPONENTS                       RM million   RM million   RM million         RM million          RM million
      Party
              exposures of RM24 billion. The amount stood at 62% against
              the Bank Muamalats capital base of RM2.14 billion. Both
              measurements were well below the threshold limit set by
              Bank Negara Malaysia.
                                                Media
                                                Highlights
     Board of
     Directors
Azura Othman
Profile of Board of
Directors
Tan Sri Dato Dr Mohd Munir Abdul Majid is Chairman of        Board of Directors and in August he was appointed its
Bank Muamalat and was appointed to the Board of Bank          Non-Executive Chairman until July 2011.
Muamalat on 3 June 2008. He is also the Chairman of Veto
Committee.                                                    He became the Chairman of Bank Muamalat in 2008. In
                                                              February 2014, Dr. Munir was appointed Chairman of
He obtained a B.Sc (Econ) from the London School of           CIMB Asean Research Institute and also joined the board
Economics and Political Science (LSE) in 1971 where he        of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies
also obtained his Ph.D in International Relations in 1978.    (ISIS) Malaysia. He is the Chairman of the Asean Business
He taught at the Department of International Relations in     Advisory Council  Malaysia Chapter and the chairman
LSE from 1972-1975. He was a research analyst for Daiwa       of the Council region-wide in 2015. He is currently the
Europe NV in London from 1975-1978.                           President of the Asean Business Club and also the Co-
                                                              chair of the Malaysia-America Foundation, which seeks to
Dr Munir joined the New Straits Times (NST) at the end        deepen relations between the two countries.
of 1978 as a leader writer and progressed to become
the Group Editor. During his time at NST, he published        Dr. Munir was the founder President of the Kuala Lumpur
numerous articles on national and international politics,     Business Club (2003-2008). In May 2004, he was appointed
and economics. (He continues to write, now as a               a member of the Court of Fellows of the Malaysian Institute
columnist for The Star, Malaysias leading English language   of Management.
newspaper). He left NST in 1986 to become the CEO of
a small merchant bank, Pertanian Baring Sanwa (PBS),          In December 2005, he was made an Honorary Fellow of
whose name he changed to Commerce International               the LSE and was appointed Visiting Senior Fellow at LSE
Merchant Bankers (CIMB) which was then transformed into       IDEAS in 2008 (Centre for International Affairs, Diplomacy
one of Malaysias leading merchant banks. He was invited      and Strategy) where he started the Southeast Asia
by the Government of Malaysia to establish and become         International Affairs Programme and led the programme
the first and founding Executive Chairman of the Securities   until 2012. He has written for IDEAS publications and
Commission in 1993, where he served for two terms until       published in International Politics, a British academic
1999.                                                         journal. A collection of his articles was published in a book,
                                                              9/11 and the Attack on Muslims. He is a member of the
As the founding executive chairman he was instrumental        International Institute of Strategic Studies.
in shaping the legal and regulatory framework of the
capital markets, as well as introducing the countrys first   Dr Munir received his early education at St Marks Primary
code of corporate governance. During this time, he was        School in Butterworth and the Bukit Mertajam High School
the chairman of the emerging markets committee of the         in the state of Penang. He received his upper secondary
International Organisation of Securities Commissions          education at the Royal Military College in Sungei Besi near
(IOSCO). In 1997, he received the Cranfield Management        Kuala Lumpur where he was awarded the Commandants
Excellence award.                                             Prize for being the best all-round student in 1967. He left
                                                              for London the next year.
After leaving the Securities Commission, he served as a
Senior Independent Non-Executive Director of Telekom
Malaysia Berhad for 4 years until June 2004, and was the
chairman of its mobile subsidiary Celcom (M) Berhad from
2002-2004. In June 2004, Dr Munir joined Malaysia Airlines
Profile of Board of
Directors
                                                Dato Sri Che Khalib Mohamad Noh
                                                Non-Independent Non-Executive Director
                                                Dato Sri Che Khalib began his career with Messrs Ernst
                                                & Young in 1989 and later joined Bumiputra Merchant
                                                Bankers Berhad. He was previously a member of the Board
                                                and the Executive Committee of Khazanah Nasional Berhad
                                                from year 2000 to 2004. He also served as a Board member
                                                within the United Engineers Malaysia (UEM) Group of
                                                companies and Bank Industri & Teknologi Malaysia Berhad.
Profile of Board of
Directors
                                                Dato Haji Mohd Redza Shah
                                                Abdul Wahid
                                                Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director
                                                Dato Haji Mohd Redza Shah also sits on the Board of Malaysian
                                                Electronic Payment System Sdn Bhd (MEPS), Islamic Banking
                                                & Finance Institute Malaysia (IBFIM) and Bank Muamalats
                                                subsidiaries. He was recently appointed as director of Raeed
                                                Holding Sdn Bhd, an entity to manage the operation of the
                                                Islamic Investment Account, which is under the purview of
                                                BNM. Dato Haji Mohd Redza Shah is also the President of
                                                Association of Islamic Banking Institutions Malaysia.
Profile of Board of
Directors
                                                Haji Abdul Jabbar Abdul Majid
                                                Non-Independent Non-Executive Director
Profile of Board of
Directors
                                                Dato Azmi Abdullah
                                                Independent Non-Executive Director
Profile of Board of
Directors
                                                Azura Othman
                                                Independent Non-Executive Director
Shariah Committee
                                                                                                       Prof. Madya
                                                                                                       Dr. Mohamad Sabri Haron
Ustaz Haji Azizi Che Seman is currently a lecturer at the Islamic Studies Academy, University
of Malaya, a position he has held since 2002. He has been with Bank Muamalat since 1 April
2005. Until now, he is entrusted to be the Chairman for Bank Muamalats Shariah Committee.
He has also been appointed as Shariah Advisor of AIBIM. In terms of qualification, he is
now pursuing his studies in the field of Islamic capital market. He holds a Master Degree in
Economics from International Islamic University of Malaysia in 2001 and a Bachelor of Islamic
Studies from University Malaya in 1996. His specialisation areas are in Islamic Capital Market,
Islamic Economics, Fiqh Muamalat and Islamic Research Methodology. Besides his function
in Shariah advisory, he also contributes his ideas and experiences in the development of
Bank Muamalats IT system.
Profile of Shariah
Committee
                  Al-Bukhari
a n n u a l           r e p o r t        2 0 1 5
Terms
of Reference
         Objective/Purpose                                               Authority
         These terms of references were prepared                         These Terms of reference are governed by the
         to inform and notify the appointed Shariah                      IFSA 2013 (including any amendment that
         Committee on all relevant matters pertaining to                 will be made from time to time)(Laws and
         their duties, processes and procedures.                         Regulations).
Duties, Responsibilities & Accountability of the Shariah         (4) 	    Endorse and validate relevant documentations
Committee                                                        	        To ensure that the products of Bank Muamalat
                                                                          comply with Shariah principles, the Shariah
The main duties and responsibilities of the Shariah                       Committee must approve:
Committee are as follows:
                                                                 i.	      the terms and conditions contained in the
(1)	       Responsibility and accountability                              forms, contracts, agreements or other legal
	          The Shariah Committee is expected to understand                documentations used in executing the transactions;
           that in the course of discharging the duties and               and
           responsibilities as a Shariah Committee member
           must be in accordance with Laws and Regulations       ii.	     the product manual, marketing advertisements,
           in respect of duties and obligations of the Shariah            sales illustrations and brochures used to describe
           Committee member, and responsible and                          the product.
           accountable for all Shariah decisions, opinions and
           views provided by them.                               (5) 	    Assess work carried out by Shariah review and
                                                                          Shariah audit
(2) 	 Advise to the Board and Bank Muamalat                      	        To assess the work carried out by Shariah review and
      including Bank Muamalats subsidiaries                              Shariah audit in order to ensure compliance with
	     The Shariah Committee is expected to advise the                     Shariah matters which forms part of their duties in
      Board, Management including Bank Muamalats                         providing their assessment of Shariah compliance
      subsidiaries and provide input to Bank Muamalat                     and assurance information in the annual report.
      on Shariah matters in order for Bank Muamalat to
      comply with Shariah principles at all times.               (6) 	    Assist related parties on Shariah matters
                                                                 	        The related parties of Bank Muamalat such as its
(3) 	      Endorse Shariah policies and procedures                        legal counsel, auditor or consultant may seek advice
	          The Shariah Committee is expected to endorse                   on Shariah matters from the Shariah Committee
           Shariah policies and procedures prepared by Bank               and the Shariah Committee is expected to provide
           Muamalat and to ensure that the contents do                    the necessary assistance to the requesting party.
           not contain any element which is not in line with
           Shariah.
(7) 	   Shariah Advisory Council, Bank Negara Malaysia            (11) 	 Report to the shareholders and the depositors
	       The Shariah Committee may advise Bank Muamalat                   that all Bank Muamalats activities are in
        to consult the Shariah Advisory Council of Bank                  accordance with Shariah.
        Negara Malaysia (SAC) on Shariah matters that
        could not be resolved.                                    (12) 	Provide Shariah advisory and consultancy
                                                                        services in all matters relating to Bank Muamalats
	       In cases where there are uncertainties and                      products, transactions and activities as well as
        differences of opinions, Bank Muamalat may seek                 other businesses involving Bank Muamalat.
        advice and refer for a ruling from the SAC. The
        request for advice shall be communicated through          (13) 	 Scrutinize and endorse the annual financial
        the Secretariat of the SAC.                                      report of Bank Muamalat.
	       Members of the Shariah Committee must not act             (14) 	 Provide training to the staff as well as notes or
        in a manner that would undermine the rulings and                 relevant materials for their reference.
        decisions made by the SAC or the committee they
        represent. They are required to respect and observe       (15) 	 Represent Bank Muamalat or to attend any
        the published Shariah rulings issued by the SAC and              meetings with the SAC or other relevant bodies
        shall not go against the decisions of the committee              concerning any Shariah issues relating to Bank
        that they represent in public.                                   Muamalat.
	       In cases of disputes and court proceedings related        (16) The Shariah Committee shall maintain the
        to Islamic financial business or any Shariah issues            confidentiality of Bank Muamalats internal
        arising from Bank Muamalats business operations,              information and shall responsible for the safe
        both the court and the arbitrator shall take into              guarding of confidential information. He or
        consideration the published rulings of the SAC or              she should maintain all information in strict
        refer such issues to the SAC for its ruling. Any ruling        confidence, except when disclosure is authorized
        made by the SAC arising from a reference made                  by Bank Muamalat or required by law.
        shall be binding on Bank Muamalat and the court or
        the arbitrator. In the event where the decision given
        by Bank Muamalats Shariah Committee is different         17) 	 The Shariah Committee shall ensure the quality
        from the ruling given by the SAC, the rulings of the            and consistency of the Shariah decisions.
        SAC shall prevail. However, the Shariah Committee is
        allowed to adopt a more stringent Shariah decision.
                                                          Statement
                                                          from The Chairman of
                                                          Shariah Committee
       In line with its vision to become the preferred Islamic financial services provider, Bank
       Muamalat has set distinguished example in the industry as one of the leading Islamic
       banks. The Committees and Bank Muamalats adherence to the Shariah Governance
       Framework (SGF) for Islamic Financial Institutions (IFI) issued by Bank Negara Malaysia
       (BNM) has placed Bank Muamalat among the best Islamic Financial Institution in
       terms of Shariah governance. Bank Muamalat has exemplified initiatives in promoting
       Shariah not only in the domain of its product offerings but encompassing all aspects
       in the organisation.
As Shariah Committee of Bank Muamalat, we have given our utmost dedication to quality and demonstrated our commitment
to ensure Shariah compliance in the products, process, documentations, marketing, IT systems and other related matters.
With the assistance of other SGF organs within Bank Muamalat, we believe that we have played our role to oversee Shariah
matters related to Bank Muamalats business operations and activities. Besides regular banking businesses, the Committee
also supports the development of other Shariah based products and services initiated by Bank Muamalat namely wakaf,
rahn, zakat and qardh to fulfill the need of the Ummah at large. Bank Muamalat has increasingly involved on wakaf land
projects and corporate social responsibility over the years and this is what differentiates us from other entitites.
Now, we are challenged by the new law, the Islamic Financial Services Act 2013 (IFSA) which has been enforced in June 2013.
The IFSA has been characterised as omnibus financial legislation, that repeals the Islamic Banking Act 1983 and the Takaful
Act 1984; which combines the Islamic financial and takaful services under the aforementioned acts in a similar fashion.
The IFSA provides the regulation and supervision of IFI, payment systems and other relevant entities. It also provides the
oversight of the Islamic money market and Islamic foreign exchange market to promote financial stability and compliance
with Shariah.
Pursuant to the enforcement of Islamic Financial Services Act 2013 (IFSA), certain changes are to be made in Bank Muamalat
such as the transition of saving based account and Mudarabah based account which challenges the operation of Bank
Muamalat. However, the positive perspective has to be set in mind as the changes will make Islamic banking more progressive.
Currently, Bank Muamalat is moving forward to the development of some new products that will be offered in line with IFSA
requirement.
During the FY 2015, Muamalat Banking Solution (MBS) project is the main transformation agenda of Bank Muamalat and
poised to transform it into an innovative and competitive player in the financial market. It involves the replacement of the
former core banking system and supporting applications with a single integrated, comprehensive and complete suite of
Shariah compliant banking solution. Decommissioning the legacy system and replacing it with this new integrated system
will improve efficiency in distribution and delivery. The MBS project will minimise human errors, system will be automated
and proper and sequence of aqad can be ensured. Alhamdulillah, it was a smooth and successful transition for which all
those involved can be proud and are to be congratulated.
We would like to extend our warmest congratulations to the Board of Directors and the Management for their genuine
concern and strong passion to ensure not only the productivity and profitability of Bank Muamalat, but also to assure the
dictates and requirements of Shariah are properly observed and adhered to. Indeed, we are very thankful and proud of
such cooperation received, especially from the Management and generally from the staff, in providing the Committee with
adequate information and materials in ensuring our deliberations on each issue would be resolved accordingly. We also
congratulate Bank Muamalat as the MBS project has become a reality and InsyaAllah will benefit Bank Muamalat to gain its
mission and vision.
It is highly hoped and reasonably anticipated that Bank Muamalat becomes more relevant in this increasingly challenging
industry while upholding the Shariah implementations and applications in the Islamic banking and business without
undermining the never-ending quest for the ultimate goal of gaining Allahs blessing and pleasure.
Thank you
Regards
  Senior
  Management
PeerMohamed
Ibramsha
Chief Operating Officer                           Adinor Mohamed Yunus   Jamilah Abdul Sallam
(Operations Division)                             Chief Risk Officer     EVP, Human Capital Division
                                                   Mashitah Hj Osman
                                                   Chief Operating Officer
                                                   (Business Division)
Profile of Senior
Management
                                                     PeerMohamed Ibramsha
                                                     Chief Operating Officer - Operations Division
She joined Bank Islam in November 2006 to set up and head the Corporate
Investment Banking Division, encompasses 3 distinct departments offering
corporate finance, debt capital market and corporate banking products and
services. Prior to Bank Islam, she was attached to RHB Investment Bank Berhad
to lead the Islamic Finance department mainly specialising in Islamic Debt
Capital Market.
Haji Ismail joined Bank Muamalat as an Executive Vice President, CEOs Office in April 2012
and was subsequently redesignated to Executive Vice President, Operations on 1 February
2013 with direct oversight of Business Process & Transformation, Credit Operations,
Document Management, Compliance, Treasury Processing & Settlement and Trade Finance
Departments. He was redesignated to Executive Vice President, Credit Management Division
since 9 September 2014.
Prior to joining Bank Muamalat, Haji Ismail was on the Board of Kuwait Finance House
(Malaysia) Berhad as an Independent Non-Executive Director. He started his career in Agro
Bank Malaysia Berhad (formerly known as Bank Pertanian Malaysia Berhad), and later moved
to United Overseas Bank (Malaysia) Berhad [formerly known as Chung Khiaw Bank (Malaysia)
Berhad/Lee Wah Bank Limited] and Affin Bank Berhad (formerly known as Perwira Habib Bank
Berhad).
In 1992, he joined Public Bank Berhad as the Director, Credit Operations overseeing
credit evaluation, credit administration and loan recovery. He was also the pioneer staff
in the development of Islamic banking in Public Bank Berhad and played a key role in the
establishment of Public Islamic Bank Berhad, a wholly owned subsidiary of Public Bank Berhad.
He was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Public Islamic Bank and remained on the
post until his retirement in January 2011. Haji Ismail brings with him a wealth of 42 years of
banking experience in areas of credit evaluation, loan recovery, credit administration, branch
management and Islamic banking operations.
                                                              Adinor is currently the Chief Risk Officer with direct oversight of Risk Management
                                                              Department, Credit Assessment Department, and the Regional Approving Center
                                                              which is the central approving unit for all consumer financings. He also serves
                                                              as a member of the Management Committee, Executive Risk Management
                                                              Committee, Investment Committee, IT Steering Committee and Asset Liability
                                                              Committee.
                                                              He has spent more than 20 years in the Treasury and Capital Markets at various
                                                              banks in Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta. His last appointment was the Head of Group
                                                              Treasury at Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Berhad, prior to joining Bank Muamalat
                                                              in 2011.
Profile of Senior
Management
                                                                 Syed Alwi Mohamed Sultan
                                                                 Executive Vice President, Corporate Services Division
                                                                 Syed Alwi is the Executive Vice President, Corporate Services Division at Bank
                                                                 Muamalat with direct oversight of Product Development and Innovation
                                                                 Department and Shariah Department. He serves as a member of the
                                                                 Management Committee, Executive Risk Management Committee, Investment
                                                                 Committee and Asset Liability Committee. He also sits as a Board member of
                                                                 Muamalat Invest Sdn. Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank Muamalat.
                                                                 Prior to joining Bank Muamalat, Syed Alwi was the Managing Director and Head
                                                                 of Islamic Banking, Asia Pacific at BNP Paribas, Director of Islamic Origination
                                                                 at Standard Chartered Saadiq Malaysia Berhad and Vice President, Corporate
                                                                 Banking-Asia at The Islamic Bank of Asia Limited, Singapore. Syed Alwi has more
                                                                 than seventeen (17) years of working experience in the Islamic financial services
                                                                 industry, both as a consultant and a banker. He has been involved in arranging
                                                                 and structuring several syndicated Islamic facilities, Sukuk transactions and
                                                                 Islamic derivative transactions for clients in Asia Pacific and Middle East.
Gary Chin
Executive Vice President, Information Communication
Technology Division
Prior to joining Bank Muamalat, Hafni started his working career with
RHB Bank Berhad as a Management Trainee since completion of his
bachelors degree in 1992, and his last position at RHB Bank Berhad
was as the Vice President, Head of Islamic Banking & Subsidiaries
Audit Department.
                                                Chairmans
                                                Statement
                                                TAN SRI DATO DR. MOHD MUNIR ABDUL MAJID
                                                Chairman
Dear Fellow Stakeholders,                                      rising cost of funds creating a low margin environment
                                                               and tougher requirements on regulatory compliance.
Over many years now, I would typically begin the               However, prudential regulations especially with regards
Chairmans Statement with a review of the business             to tighter regulatory capital requirements have created
environment and the performance and activities of              a banking sector with strong capitalisation and ample
Bank Muamalat during the past year. For the year 2014,         liquidity. The Islamic financial sector continued its growth
however, I wish to take a few moments to reflect on the        momentum as it grew by 12% in 2014 to account for
tragedies involving the missing MH370, the crashed MH17        25.6% of total banking system assets and is thus marching
plane, the tragic floods that hit many parts of Malaysia       steadily towards the target of 40% of banking system
in December 2014, the Air Asia and other tragedies that        assets by 2020.
affected Malaysians of all walks of life. Our condolences
go out to all those affected. These tragedies brought the      FINANCIAL RESULTS
best out of us too, as I proudly witnessed the relentless
efforts by the staff of Bank Muamalat responding to these      Against the above backdrop, I am pleased to report
tragedies. They were all nothing against the magnitude of      that Bank Muamalat did commendably well as it posted
the calamities, but even feeble efforts show we are above      a higher revenue of RM1.072 billion, a 6.8% increase
all part of the communities that we serve and that these       from the revenue of the previous financial year. This was
communities are at the centre of our world.                    mainly driven by its stable financing growth as well as
                                                               contributions from fee based income. Nevertheless, due
Getting back to the norm of my usual Chairmans                to increased cost of funds and large impairment charges
Statement, let me note the global economy in 2014              on financing during the year, the Profit Before Tax (PBT)
continued to show serious structural problems - weighed        declined by 41% to RM122 million and the Return on
down by low growth, high debt and high unemployment.           Equity (RoE) was dragged down to 6.78% compared to
Six years after the start of the Western financial crisis,     12.46% in the previous financial year.
the global economic recovery continued to rely heavily
on accommodative monetary policies in advanced                 Bank Muamalats gross financing increased by 12.5%
economies, which were intended to support economic             driven predominantly by an 18.5% increase in residential
growth by encouraging economic risk taking. Whilst the         property. The financing portfolio was RM13.7billion at the
benefits of monetary easing became more evident in             end of the financial year. For FY 2014, Bank Muamalats
some economies, it has also resulted in growth in global       total assets stood at RM22.4 billion.
debt in many countries, raising the ratio of global debt to
global GDP by 17%, by some estimates. These higher levels      The capital position of Bank Muamalat remained solid with
of debt threaten financial stability and pose a greater risk   a Total Capital Ratio of 16.10% and Common Equity Tier 1
of a crisis.                                                   ratio of 13.30%, well above the minimum requirements
                                                               under Basel III guidelines. Bank Muamalats gross impaired
In 2014, the Malaysian economy recorded a stronger             financing ratio continued to improve and as at March
growth of 6.0% (2013: 4.7%), driven by continued strength      2015, the ratio stood at 2.5%, an improvement from the
in private domestic demand and improved performance in         2.7% in 2014. The downward trend is expected to continue
the external trade sector. In July 2014, the Monetary Policy   further as Bank Muamalat maintains its focus on robust
Committee (MPC) raised the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR)         credit analysis and control process and credit risk policies.
by 25 basis points to 3.25%, the first adjustment since May
2011 with the dual aim of maintaining steady economic          Bank Muamalat continued its active engagement in
growth whilst mitigating any risk of financial imbalance.      diversifying its funding base and easing concentration risk
Inflation rate averaged 3.2% in 2014, an increase from         concerns. One of the initiatives was the Oh Yeah deposit
the 2.1% of 2013, driven mainly by domestic cost factors       campaign which had the impact of growing total deposits
arising from upward adjustments in the prices of selected      to RM19.6 billion as at March 2015 from RM17.6 billion in
previously price-administered items such as petrol, sugar      the preceding year. The Financing to Deposit ratio was
and electricity.                                               registered at a healthy level of 70.1%.
Chairmans
Statement
performance. Bank Muamalat has now opened a second            ratio and liquidity coverage ratio requirements.
BDC outlet with the launch of the BDC at KLIA Main
Terminal. We hope to achieve greater diversification of       The fall in oil prices and the continued sluggishness
revenues through the BDC business and help further            of the price of crude palm oil (CPO) may pose risks on
contribute to our fee based income portfolio.                 the countrys economic fundamentals and on the oil
                                                              and gas and palm oil industry respectively. For Islamic
On the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) business             banks in particular, the (IFSA) is expected to strengthen
segment, we have restructured the business model              the employment of Shariah contracts towards product
towards consolidating the business. To gain market share      development initiatives which will witness greater product
in this segment, we launched the Muamalat BizSTAR-i           innovation, heighten customer education initiatives and
product during the year to provide options on ownership       reinforce internal Shariah risk governance.
of business premises targeted at business clients.
                                                              Despite the weaker financial performance during the
Bank Muamalats asset management subsidiary,                  year, we are committed to ensure that the performance
Muamalat Invest Sdn Bhd (MISB), continued to grow             of the bank improves in the next financial year despite
in terms of assets under management (AUM). As at              the challenging environment. Bank Muamalat has put
end of the FY2015 the AUM stood at RM2.7billion, a            in place clear strategies to address credit quality, yield
commendable 50% growth from the AUM of the previous           improvement, effective cost management, efficient
year. This accomplishment was achieved through the            process improvements and diversification of sources
series of wholesale funds that were launched during the       of revenue, profit and growth, without compromising
year that contributed to the performance and growth           customer service, risk management and regulatory and
and widened the footprint of MISB in the wholesale            Shariah compliance.
Islamic fund market.
                                                              The FY2015 will compel us to exercise greater discipline
At Bank Muamalat, it is part of our corporate belief          and focus in executing our plans and strategies. We will
system to be a socially responsible corporate entity          adopt a penetration strategy in the consumption credit
towards creating sustainable communities and society.         business and Ar Rahnu business, to improve yields and
Bank Muamalats Tabung Mawaddah under Masih Ada               diversification of sources of income as well as to further
Yang Sayang (MAYS) programme continued to run                 expand the Ar Rahnu business to other selected branches.
activities to support the communities, especially the less    As for the other businesses such as house financing,
fortunate. Among them are contributions to improve the        business banking and SME segment we will continue
infrastructure of Tahfiz schools and selected mosques.        to maintain market share whilst being prudent on asset
Bank Muamalat has also contributed in the construction        quality. Our two BDC outlets are expected to supplement
of the knowledge complex in Penang as well as in              consistent fee based income and improve our yields.
providing dedicated transportation vehicles for selective
mosques and Tahfiz schools nationwide.                        We will continue on our efforts to develop innovative
                                                              products especially in managing our liability profile and
PROSPECTS                                                     improving fee based income. Amongst these are the
                                                              Investment Account products and current and savings
The Malaysian economy is expected to soften in 2015 with      account (CASA) products which will be designed to comply
BNM projecting GDP growth of between 4.5%-5.5%. With          with the classifications provided under IFSA. We will
the weakening of the Ringgit, problems in the euro zone,      enhance the strategy of deploying the Corporate Payment
a moderation in Chinas GDP growth and softer Japanese        and Collection System (CPCS) and continue our focus on
economy, growth is anticipated to be primarily driven         the niche strategy of managing cash and payments for
by the domestic economy, led by private consumption           government agencies.
and private investment as exports take a back seat.
The banking sector will continue to experience intense        Our asset management business under MISB is expected
competition and margin compression as banks keep on           to gain further ground and gradually increase its income
competing for funds to manage key performance and             contribution to the group. We foresee that our securities
ratios including financing to deposit ratio, cost to income   investment activities will face headwinds given the
Chairmans
Statement
volatilities in the interest rate, credit and currency         their guidance, counsel, insights and support.
markets. Our Investment banking activities will continue
to concentrate on origination of private debt securities       I wish to thank the relevant authorities, in particular Bank
and spearhead the banks initiatives on Musharakah based       Negara Malaysia, the Securities Commission and the
partnerships.                                                  Ministry of Finance for their continuing guidance and
                                                               assistance.
We have over the last few years consciously strengthened
our risk management practices and instilled stronger risk      I would also like to extend my gratitude to our customers
management culture. Towards this end, we will continue         for their continued support and loyalty. May Allah bless
to improve our tools and systems to enable us to make          our efforts and provide us with His continued sustenance.
sound decisions that will inspire confidence from our
stakeholders, namely our customers, shareholders and
regulators.                                                    Yours Sincerely,
                                                               Tan Sri Dato Dr Mohd Munir Abdul Majid
Moving forward, we are clearly focused on managing our
costs to improve efficiency, diversifying our sources of
revenue, profit and growth through product innovation,
customer service and technological improvements.
Customers are the core of banking services thus we will
ensure our product roll-out and services are tailored
towards the various customer segments that we serve.
People are the key component of our organisation, thus
we will invest in our human capital resources and ensure
we retain and channel talent towards realising their
true potential. Finally, we will continue being a bank
of the community for the community and give back to
the communities that we serve through our corporate
responsibility initiatives.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
An interview
   with the CEO
   Dato Haji Mohd Redza Shah Abdul Wahid
   Chief Executive Officer
                                                  1
A building is not just a                        In October 2014, Bank Muamalat turned 15 years. Can
                                                you share with us a bit of history about Bank Muamalat
building but a foot print of                    and how you became the CEO?
an organisation. It breathes;                   I still remember this as clear as day. It was back in 1998, and
it grows as part of the                         the financial crisis had hit us very hard. I was then a Senior
                                                Manager at Khazanah and remember very well attending a
community surrounding it.                       meeting between Khazanah and MOF officials strategising
Its past present and future                     ways moving forward for Bank Bumiputra to identify a
                                                possibility at further capital injected by Khazanah. Hardly
is a legacy of retold, told                     6 months had passed, Khazanah was approved by Bank of
imprinted on its walls and in                   BOC and BBMB. The rest, I guess is history as this was the
                                                start of the birth of the Bumiputra Commerce Group and
time it rises to be stronger.                   Bank Muamalat Malaysia Berhad.
As like any other bank, Bank                    Government to want to see competition within the Islamic
                                                Banking Framework as Bank Islam had existed then for
Muamalat has been here                          more than 15 years and Islamic Banking had not made
For the past 15 years Bank                      to Bank Muamalat. The Governments commitment too
                                                Bank Muamalat is enormous and very noble.
Muamalat has grown in                           In the year 2008, the entrance of our current shareholder
time with the community.                        to support the growth of the Bank saw another additional
Always striving to provide                      capital injection of RM500 million being made by both
                                                DRB-Hicom and Khazanah.
better and more efficient
services, including offering                    It was a bit of a surprise to me when I was appointed
                                                as the CEO of Bank Muamalat, as I was involved in the
a wide range of products.                       recruitment of the CEO for Bank Muamalat. And in the
                                                process somehow rather I was selected as the CEO. Bank
                                                Muamalat is one of DRBs biggest acquisitions at that time.
                                                DRB-Hicom had sent 6 of its best people seconded to Bank
                                                Muamalat to assist in the first few years and as for me, I
                                                took it as a personal challenge.
As any other organisations, the first year I was with the     Despite the increasingly challenging landscape, we
bank, there were a lot of challenges and issues that needed   have achieved a great deal in many areas which include
rectification. One of the major challenges was to gain the    improvement in infrastructure, people, processes as well
regulators confidence in how we should turn around the        as our products & services and this has contributed to our
bank and we presented our business plan but they were         improved balance sheet and financial position.
not convinced. We then did a quick win to tackle our NPF.
Alhamdulillah, we managed to tackle the NPF of the bank       Our products and services are not just meant for Muslims,
from a high 4% to a low 1%. Roles of Chief Risk Officer and   it is in fact for all and this is part of our effort to have a
Chief Compliance Officer were introduced to strengthen        better engagement beyond the Muslim community. Right
the controls function. At the same time, we started to have   now, 13% of our more than 800,000 customers are non-
regular communications with the employees to ensure           Muslim and this is a great achievement to us.
they are engaged with our business plan. And in doing so,
we managed to win the confidence of the regulators and        Infrastructure wise, many of our branches have been
stakeholders.                                                 renovated with a new look and feel to provide for a
                                                              better customer experience in line with the fast changing
One of the most memorable achievements is when we             customer needs.
managed to breakthrough the profit figure by reaching
the RM200 million in PBT within two years and increased       In looking to improve and streamline our processes,
the credit rating from the central bank.                      we have embraced the Six Sigma programme which
                                                              you can normally see being practiced at manufacturing
Moving forward, we will continue to practice Islamic          companies. We believe the same concept can be applied
Banking in its truest form and continue to be an example      to our bank and this was evidenced by the reduction in our
for the entire community in Malaysia. We are a small Bank     turn-around time for a number of key processes which are
and we are small enough to make changes and create            now comparable to industry standards.
bigger impact.
                                                              In terms of products, we at Bank Muamalat aim to make a
                                                              difference when we create our products and go beyond
  2                                                           profit orientation towards enriching our community. Over
What has happened in the last 15 years?                       the years, we have, amongst others, launched products
                                                              that help customers to consolidate their debt at a lower
A lot really As I was very much a part of Bank Muamalats    profit rate, we have Ar-Rahnu to cater to the needs of the
history right from the onset. Khazanahs investment in        lower income group, we have micro credit facility to assist
Bank Bumiputra had more than paid off. The 16% shares         small and medium entrepreneurs and the most recent, we
of CAHB that is used to hold is now worth billions, BBMB      have the Waqf fund wherein we offer our customers the
Securities was sold together with Bumiputra Merchant and      channel and the opportunity to invest in a noble cause for
the value of its 30% stake in Bank Muamalat has more than     the afterlife.
doubled. From a Bank that was born in the most difficult
times, we have more than survived and are beginning to        These are some of the improvements you can see at our
make a mark in the market. Alhamdulillah, profits have        Bank. We have strengthened our foundation and we
surged beyond RM200 million, when it comes to waqf            believe all our efforts have put us on a stronger footing in
we are the market envy and we have the most modern IT         ensuring sustainable growth and performance.
system today in the banking industry in Malaysia.
     3                                                           4
Last year Bank Muamalat implemented its new core               Your plans for Bank Muamalat in the next 5 years.
banking system. Can you tell us a bit about that?
                                                               We will continue to embrace our long term aspiration to be
Muamalat Banking Solution (MBS) as we call it, involves        the preferred Islamic financial institution and this requires
the replacement of the current core banking system             continuous efforts to upgrade our service delivery as well
and supporting applications with a single integrated,          as infrastructure to enable us to be at the forefront.
comprehensive and complete suite of Shariah compliant
banking solution. We aim to meet the following objectives:-    And over the next few years, we will look at the possibility
                                                               of going into the regional market. As a start, we might
a)	      Single System Platform and Seamless Intergration      begin with collaborations rather than investment, with a
b)	      Streamlined Business Operation                        view of maybe taking a stake in the market later on.
c)	      Improve Customer Service Satisfaction
d)	      Single Customer View                                  As for products and services, we are looking towards
e)	      Improve Product Time to Market                        developing products/services that are competitive not
                                                               only in terms of returns, but also to serve the needs of
The MBS programme kicked off on 13 December 2012               corporate social responsibility. Waqf services that we are
and the Go Live date was on 16 June 2014. It took            running now, is a unique example; a free-of-charge service
extraordinary people to make this happen. All work had         offered to customers which in turn would contribute to
been done throughout the 2 years and it was time to raise      the development of certain sectors in the country and in
the curtains. Some issues had surfaced at the very last        our case, the education and health sectors. This is what we
minute, however the team managed to resolve the issues.        call Ethical Banking. Although we might have to sacrifice
                                                               a little bit of extra return but it is profitable in the longer
Lots of things had prevailed throughout this programme,        term as we could win the customers loyalty through this
ordinary people could transform to be superheroes and          kind of products. And yes, we want to be the Champion in
teamwork was at a Magnificent 5 standard. Through            Ethical Banking.
good communications and encouragement, everybody
worked voluntarily without much fuss and with great
determination. This small little bank that was a menace to
the authorities for many years with so many problems had
turned the corner and redefined IT Transformation in the
region. Our ATM TCP/IP is the first in the market and is the
envy of others! Indeed this was a turnaround
                      (Fatir: 9)
a n n u a l        r e p o r t        2 0 1 5
Consumer
Banking
                                                           The key portfolios-namely
                                                           mortgage, personal financing
                                                           and automobile financing on an
                                                           aggregate basis registered a
                                                           double digit growth surpassing
                                                           the RM1 billion mark in net
                                                           growth.        Attar Salleh
                                                                        Head, Consumer Banking Division
During the year, Bank Muamalat further strengthened its value proposition by enhancing the features of its full suite of
products, increasing cross-selling and product bundling and analytics-driven marketing campaigns. Bank Muamalat also
streamlined the credit processes to deliver better customer service. Meanwhile, Bank Muamalat will continue to look for
operational efficiencies across the network and better sales productivity to further reduce the cost-to-income ratio.
Consumer
Banking
MORTGAGE
                                                                  Although market conditions for the real estate sector is
                                                                  on downwards bias since mid-2013, mortgage recorded a
                                                                  robust growth of 19% year-on-year, driven by demand for
                                                                  housing from the middle working-age population as well
                                                                  as the rising trends in the urban lifestyle.
     Other strategies to enhance financing on mortgage are to focus on collaboration with selected developers, to mix
     and balance between primary and secondary portfolios as well as improving yield through product-bundling and
     cross-selling initiatives.
     Moving forward, Bank Muamalat will focus on financing quality and sales productivity especially in the prime and sub
     urban areas to further enhance the customer base.
PERSONAL FINANCING
                                                                  Personal financing continues to contribute positively to
                                                                  consumer bankings revenue. For FY2015, the segment has
                                                                  contributed 7% year-on-year growth or RM211 million to
                                                                  overall gross financing.
     Our personal financing product via deduction at source, has grown into a healthy portfolio that enables us to
     implement better marketing strategies and remain competitive at all times. Concurrently, Bank Muamalat will
     continue to improve the credit risk framework to ensure that impaired financing ratio is kept low.
AUTOMOBILE FINANCING
The hire purchase business continues to shrink further,
registering a negative growth of 10%. The trend is a result
of reduction in emphasis on hire purchase business in
order to increase the consumer financing portfolio overall
yield.
DEPOSITS
                                          The growth in total deposits is also attributable to our Savings Account (SA)
                                          campaign namely OH YEAH!! 2 Deposit Campaign, which attracted new
                                          deposits and new-to-bank customers.
Consumer
Banking
AR RAHNU BUSINESS
Currently, Ar Rahnu business has been established at 27 of our branches. The Ar-Rahnu financing outstanding and safe
keeping fee income as at FY2015 stood at RM46.9 million and RM6.1 million respectively as compared to RM40.7 million and
RM8.1 million in FY2014, respectively. The declining trend in price of gold since early 2014 has impacted the overall market
sentiment of Ar Rahnu business.
The Ar-Rahnu business will be expanded to another 13 selected branches, and the income from this initiative is expected to
contribute between 10% to 15% of Bank Muamalats fee income.
WEALTH MANAGEMENT
Our LifeHEBAT Campaign saw a tremendous increase in our Regular Family Takaful business, which is expected to continue
to register similar growth platform for the current financial year.
Hadith:
Business
Banking
Despite this backdrop, the Division continued to improve Financing Assets from RM3,830 million to RM4,342 million, a 13.4%
increase. This was a larger increase compared to FY2014, where the growth was 7.7%. The resulting financing income was
also larger at RM201 million, an improvement of 8.2%. The division also continued its commendable fee recognition with
RM8.8 million in FY2015, albeit slightly reduced from RM10.4 million in FY2014. The fee income was partly lower by a change
in Bank Muamalats policy towards implementing FRS139 standards, whereby the fees collected upfront for Bank Guarantees
(BG) are now amortised over the BG tenure.
MOVING FORWARD
(Al-Baqarah: 275)
Treasury
and Capital Markets
Treasury & Capital Markets performed reasonably well in           short term cash rates gapped up as banks competed for
a year that was fraught with challenges. Global financial         wholesale funding to comply with LCR requirements.
markets continued to be volatile amid uncertainty over            Margin compression was exacerbated as CASA growth
the policy direction of the U.S. Federal Reserve. Market          remained flat and industry LD ratios jumped to about 90
participants were generally of the view that the Fed              percent.
will start hiking interest rates soon after the end of its
Quantitative Easing (QE) program in October 2014. The US          Bank Muamalats wholesale funding costs crept up
Dollar gained ground as investors positioned for higher           significantly towards the latter part of the financial year
interest rates. The unexpected sharp drop in oil prices,          but were moderated by a commendable growth in CASA
however, reversed sentiment, with most central banks              and arbitrage from an almost threefold increase in foreign
easing monetary policy as the threat of inflation subsided        currency customer placements. Bank Muamalats LCR was
and prospects for global economic growth became tepid.            well above regulatory levels throughout the last financial
The risk aversion that followed buoyed the US Dollar.             year. The investment portfolio valuation improved
Treasuries saw net buying, with the 10-year yield dipping         significantly as the local yield curve eased into the first
below 1.70 percent in January 2015.                               quarter of 2015. Income from Foreign Exchange activities
                                                                  also registered a significant increase from the previous
The significant drop in oil prices, coupled with the general      year.
strength of the US Dollar saw the Ringgit being sold
off on concern that Governments deficit target will be           OUTLOOK FOR 2015/2016
    En. Hatta Salleh
compromised.     The Ringgit climbed to a 3.70 high against
the US Dollar in March 2015.                                      Risk appetites started to improve somewhat in early 2015
                                                                  amid growing expectation the Fed will not be aggressive
The Malaysian government yield curve also saw correction          when it actually starts to hike interest rates given the
with the 10-year government bonds yielding more than              fragile growth situation elsewhere. Oil prices stabilised to
4.20 percent in December 2014 before settling town to             between US$50-US$60 by the end of first quarter of 2015
3.90 percent by end March 2015. The local yield curve,            while large fund inflows helped to maintain 10-year MGS
however, has been artificially flat since October 2014 as       yields at around 3.90 percent.
Going forward, we expect financial markets volatility to remain, driven by the developments in the U.S. We expect to see
another round of fund outflows as the Fed is expected to undertake its first rate hike post the sub-prime crisis before the end
of 2015.
Barring any further shocks to oil prices, the Ringgit is expected to be stable against major currencies but may give further
ground against a resurgent US Dollar. Inflationary pressure from the recent GST implementation is expected to be modest
while monetary policy should remain accommodative with no change in the OPR in 2015.
The prospect of a lift off by the Fed puts us again on a cautious stance in our investment portfolio positioning for the coming
financial year. Our strategy of short duration and emphasis on funding and asset liquidity will be maintained while foreign
exchange activities will continue to focus on customer flows.
Investment
Banking
The investment banking arena remained extremely                 Looking ahead, challenging economic conditions and
competitive throughout the financial year, with a               depressed capital market activities are seen as continuing
subdued economic and business environment resulting             to be the predominant features of the investment banking
in limited opportunities, mostly emanating from the             landscape, where the public sector, GLCs and top-tier
public, Government-linked (GLC) and blue-chip corporate         corporates are expected to remain as the primary source
sectors. Given the traditional dominance of the larger local    of business opportunities, particularly in respect of fund
and foreign players in this space, the Investment Banking       raising for various infrastructure projects under the
Department faced considerable challenges in establishing        Governments Economic Transformation Programme.
deal flows to further its aspiration to become one of the
leading Islamic investment banking houses in the country.       In cognisance of this, strategic focus moving forward will
                                                                be skewed towards project and syndicated financing
Against such a backdrop, the department turned in a             transactions which, apart from their financing assets
commendable performance in securing several mandates            generation potential, carry attractive fee propositions. At
across both the debt and equity capital markets and             the same time, the department will continue to leverage
private equity business segments. Noteworthy deals              on its unique bank-based private equity business for
in the debt capital market include acting as Principal          structured investment opportunities that command
Adviser for the restructuring of a RM5.8 billion Sukuk for a    inherently higher returns. A new income stream is also
highway concessionaire in Johor and Joint Lead Arranger         poised to open up in the year ahead pursuant to the Banks
of a RM450.0 million Sukuk for an independent power             Investment Account initiatives, while expansion into the
producer (IPP) in Sabah.                                        corporate finance (equity) market is under near term
                                                                consideration as well, albeit on a cautious approach with
In the equity capital market, Bank Muamalat clinched            market conditions a key determining factor.
a coveted Underwriter role for Malakoff Corporation
Berhads RM2.7 billion listing exercise, Malaysias largest     In order to be able to realise these opportunities, plans
IPO for 2015 at the time. Meanwhile, two new private            are in place to strengthen the departments manpower
equity investments were concluded  one in an integrated        resources with skilled and experienced personnel, aimed
healthcare service and facilities provider in Singapore and     at enhancing existing capabilities whilst maximising
the other in an integrated transportation and logistics         value-add for clients, thus increasing Bank Muamalats
service provider in Perak, with the former realising a 16.5%    competitiveness and prospects of securing mandates to
per annum return during the financial year.                     further establish itself as a leading player in the domestic
                                                                investment banking scene.
Musharakah
Property Investment (MPI)
Musharakah Property                                               Bank Muamalat has taken a step further with the
                                                                  Memorandum of Understanding between Bank Muamalat
Investment was                                                    and UDA Waqf Sdn Bhd (UDA Group of Companies),
                                                                  signed on 25th January 2015. The memorandum is meant
established in 2011                                               for both parties to jointly develop waqf land nationwide
                                                                  based on the Musharakah concepts.
and mainly focusing                                               The development of waqf land will improve the socio-
on direct property                                                economics of Muslims by providing opportunities for
                                                                  them to participate in the economic activities from waqf
acquisition, property                                             development process.
property development                                              in Seberang Jaya, Pulau Pinang and Ipoh, Perak Darul
                                                                  Ridzuan that will be executed within FY2015/2016.
activities.
Musharakah is an Arabic word which literally means
sharing. Technically, Musharakah is a contract between the
partners to contribute capital to an enterprise or a venture,
whether existing or new, or to an owner of a real estate.
Profits generated by the venture or real estate or asset are
shared in accordance with the terms of the Musharakah
  Jamilah Abdul
agreement,         Sallamare shared in proportion to each
             while losses
  Head,  Human   Capital Management
partners share of capital.
  Division
Muamalat
Invest Sdn Bhd (MISB)
                                                      Investments are continued to be made
                                                      into building infrastructure and resources
                                                      in order to position itself as a key player
                                                      in the wholesale Islamic capital market
                                                      space.
MISB a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank Muamalat, was                wholesale Islamic capital market space.
incorporated on 22 April 1999 with a paid up capital
of RM10 million. MISB has been licensed as a Fund                   At present, MISB through its series of Islamic wholesale
Management company by Securities Commission Malaysia                funds has captured around 11% of the total Islamic
since 6 December 2005 and was accorded an Islamic Fund              wholesale fund Net Asset Value (NAV) based on Summary
Management licence in September 2010.                               of Statistic-Wholesale Funds in Malaysia issued by
                                                                    Securities Commission Malaysia.
MISB provides Shariah compliant investment management
services which include:-                                            MISB is also embarking on efforts to diversify asset classes
                                                                    for products offered and it is expected to launch a series
	       	 Management of discretionary investment                   of Sukuk funds later this year catering to the Islamic
	          mandates for asset classes covering equity and           wholesale institutional and corporate investors.
	          Sukuk; and
Muamalat
Venture Sdn Bhd (MVSB)
                                                  Looking ahead, further improvement
                                                  is forecasted for FY2016 as the more
                                                  recent joint venture branches with PKB
                                                  start to turn in profits.
Bank Muamalat, through its subsidiary MVSB and under             in turn a corresponding drop in demand for currency
the supervision of Strategic Liaison Management Office           exchange.
(SLMO), began venturing into Musharakah Mutanaqisah
(Diminishing Partnership) arrangements in 2008, with             For FY2015, MVSBs share of profit from the PKB and MEX
Permodalan Kelantan Berhad (PKB), an established and             partnerships improved to RM5.2 million from RM2.2 million
well known participant in the Islamic Pawn Broking or Ar-        the previous year, with the total outstanding investment
Rahnu sector, as its first partner.                              as at financial year end increased to RM69.5 million
                                                                 from RM55.6 million previously. Looking ahead, further
During FY2015, the partnership with PKB doubled from 6           improvement is forecasted for FY2016 as the more recent
joint venture branches; Jelawat, Wakaf Che Yeh, Pasir Mas,       joint venture branches with PKB start to turn in profits.
Tanah Merah, Pasir Puteh and Guchil in Kelantan; to 12,          Meanwhile, MVSB will look to identify new ventures and
with the addition of another 2 branches in Kelantan which        new partners as it strives to grow the Musharakah business
are Gua Musang and Kota Bahru and 4 in Sabah namely              even further towards enhancing its contribution to Bank
Sandakan, Putatan, Api-Api and Tawau. In view of the             Muamalat.
positive achievements to date, further expansion of the
partnership with PKB is proposed for FY2016 with 4 new
joint venture branches currently planned in Sabah.
Business
Process & Transformation
ACHIEVEMENT
Series of sequentially designed initiatives were introduced      Between January to March 2015, Operation & Process
for FY2015 to further inculcate the Culture of Continuous        Change has conducted 12 sessions of Bankwide
Improvement. This is more critical since the migration of        Workshops on the development of Bank Muamalats
the new technology platform via IT transformation.               documents managemet. To ensure the operational and
                                                                 functional processes are documented and Policy, SOP or
The focus is aimed at delivering more customer focused           User Guides are sufficiently developed, Bankwide Process
initiatives and at the same time sustaining the engagement       Review exercise has been established.
from all stakeholders within Bank Muamalat. Programmes
such as Win & Share & Idea Buzz were introduced to drive     MUAMALAT ONLINE MANUAL system readiness provides
engagement from all with cross functional improvement            user with a secured collaboration and ensured security
initiatives run by Lead Specialist in Quality & Improvement.     of the banks controlled documents. It also allows users
These programmes have translated to RM6.6 million of             to create, amend and enhance the policy, SOP and User
cost savings.                                                    Guide.
Some of the key activities/initiatives conducted for FY2015:   3 years Quality & Process Excellence Roadmap was
                                                               prepared to set further requirement in implementing
4 Aug 2014 	            Improvised initiative, Win & Share     continuous improvement culture. We look forward to
                        and Idea Buzz soft launched via        having the following initiatives to further enhance the
                        ICP and CCD internal blast.            service delivery & customer experience:
30 Sep 2014	            Bank Muamalat 15th Anniversary         a.	   Bank Muamalat Annual Quality Convention
                        Night Celebration, celebrated Bank     b.	   Stakeholder Engagement
                        Muamalats long service employee       c.	   ISO Certification
                        as well as our shareholders.           d.	   Execution of key improvement projects identified in
                                                                     pipeline database
21 Oct 2014	            Marked 4th time participation
                        in DRB-Hicom 5S Workplace
                        Organisation. Bank Muamalat has
                        achieved 6th placing with 89.5%
                        Higher Gold points among other
                        DRB Hicom companies.
ICT
Division
                                                 Gary Chin
                                                 EVP, Information Communication & Technology Division
The need for a new core banking system was evident and         the commitment from the staff in general. Clearly the
after almost 15 years of modification, it was becoming         trust Bank Muamalats Board had in the dedication and
increasingly difficult to cope with the existing legacy        experience of its own staff to lead the project was well
system. Multiple, disparate, aging systems are getting         justified.
expensive to run and has inhibited the timely launching
of new products, resulting in poor customer experiences.       MBS programme is beyond a core banking system
The time for change has come upon us, for us to upgrade        replacement. It changes the legacy processes and ways of
one core banking system; and Muamalat Banking Solution         doing things in a more effective manner. With successful
(MBS) was the means for this change. The programme             MBS implementation, Bank Muamalat is now equipped
kicked off in December 2012 upon the appointment of            with the following capabilities:
core banking system vendors.
                                                               NEW TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE
With MBS came the promise of better times to come. It
was set to raise productivity through system efficiencies,     	 Establishment of new Tier-3 Data Center and Disaster
improve deliveries and enhance service quality. In short,         Recovery Center.
it was an investment towards the future sustainability of      	 Robust IT Infrastructure which consists of new servers
Bank Muamalat and its vision to be the preferred Islamic          and network appliances technology to support the
financial services provider.                                      business growth, system availability and consistent
                                                                  system response time.
POST MBS: THE DAWN OF A NEW ERA                               	 New state-of-the-art security devices such as firewall
                                                                  and IPS technology for advance security perimeter
Having kicked off the project in December 2012, the long          defense.
awaited transformation was finally completed and the           	 Fully redundant high speed network links with
system went live on 16 June 2014. This was certainly            bandwidth optimiser at data centers to accommodate
a crucial moment in Bank Muamalats 15 years and the              existing and future system requirement.
system cutover went on without any major problems. This        	 Upgrade of network bandwidth at head office, site
was due largely to the advanced planning and effective            offices and branches to assure swift system response
leadership from the MBS management team as well as                time and excellent service delivery to customers.
	 Upgrade of user workstations to new hardware and             With a clear mandate from top management, IT and
   operating system to increase productivity.                   business leaders are now focused on Bank Muamalats
	 Leverage and optimise of server and storage hardware         core business objectives. IT system is now ready to support
   utilisation through virtualization technology.               world-class processes, facilitate corporate-wide decision
	 Upgrade of back office support system and other              making by supplying better data, help the business
   delivery channel to support better fulfillment of internal   develop better insights about customers, and provide an
   and external needs.	                                         accurate and up-to-date view of its financial and logistics
                                                                position. MBS platform has delivered a unified information
REDUCED COST AND COMPLEXITY                                     system to link all divisions to collaborate and develop
                                                                better business strategy moving forward.
	 Better control of IT Infrastructure and simplified system
   integration.                                                 The dedication, commitment and resolution displayed
	 Consolidation of various legacy systems into a common        by the staff were definitely an inspiration to all and
   platform and database resulted less complexity,              demonstrated the internal capabilities of Bank Muamalat
   hardware and lower operating cost to manage.                 to undertake a project of this magnitude. With MBS in place,
	 Centralised full-fledged web based front line system         Bank Muamalat can now spread its wings and unleash
   simplified system delivery at branches.                      its potential to take advantage of the vast opportunities
	 Parameter driven banking solution allowing rapid             within the financial landscape.
   changes to be made to the product and its processes;
   allowing flexible and faster product time to market
   delivery.
Customer
Service
In the true spirit of Bank Muamalat, Customer Service fully embraces its 5 shared core values, namely Care, Integrity,
Innovative, Service Oriented and Respect.
Understanding that connecting to customers on an emotional level is the key in establishing a lasting relationship, Bank
Muamalat goes beyond simply delivering product and services, and focus on developing strong bonds with the customers.
Bank Muamalat continues to strive on promoting a positive and customer-centric environment that enhances customers
experience, promotes sales and ensures customer loyalty in most aspects of its activities.
With the new MBS system implemented in June 2014, Customer Service took the central role of highlighting and providing
meaningful feedback on common and recurring issues raised by customers for further enhancement of the system.
Improvement in timeline in managing and responding
to any input, queries and feedback from customers to
2 working days from the previous 14 days was also a
major milestone for the department.
A Customer Satisfaction Survey was also conducted to gauge customers opinion of Bank Muamalats level
of service as well as on the range of products offered. The results of both Mystery Shopper Programme
and Customer Satisfaction Survey were compared with the two top banks in Malaysia for benchmarking
purposes.
In line with the objective towards transforming Bank Muamalat into a sales-driven culture, the Telemarketing
team was established within Customer Service department, with the following objectives:-
Another initiative undertaken by the department in order to provide further convenience to its customers is
to have all inbound calls to branches centralised at the Contact Centre under Customer Service Department.
Customers only need to call a central number (toll-free line 1-300-88-8787) for all their enquiries and
feedback. The long operating hours of the Contact Centre (6 am  12 midnight daily, 7 days a week) will
enable customers to call Bank Muamalat at their own convenience.
The journey to success requires Bank Muamalat to be steadfast (Istiqamah) and committed in its efforts
to deliver the best value to its stakeholders. Holding strong to our commitment in Customer Excellence,
Customer Service will continue to build strong lasting friendships with the customers which continues to be
the main foundation of the business.
Shariah
                                                Shariah department plays an
                                                important role in providing advisory
                                                function to the Bank as well as
                                                performing in-depth research and
                                                studies on Shariah matters.
                                                Mohd Izuwan Mahyudin
                                                Head, Shariah Department
The section acts as secretariat to the Shariah Committee       premise, issuance of updated and new documents of
(SC) and has been providing Shariah advisory and               General Shariah Decision on selected topics to all staff,
consultation.                                                  organising familiarisation programme on products and
                                                               operational process involved in banking activities and
The role of Shariah Secretariat in performing secretariat      managing Training Needs Analysis for SC.
function to the SC comprises of providing input and
support to the SC which includes coordinating meetings,        Among the challenges faced by our section and SC during
compiling proposal papers, disseminating Shariah               this financial year is to give full commitment for testing and
decisions to relevant stakeholders, engaging with relevant     exercise of MBS project, particularly in providing Shariah
parties who seek further deliberations on issues from the      advisory via review and assessment as well as participating
SC and ensuring the welfare of SC members is accordingly       in MBS sessions. In addition, we were also challenged by
served.                                                        the post enforcement of IFSA 2013 that repealed the
                                                               Islamic Banking Act 1983 which highlights new insight
In terms of Shariah advisory and consultancy roles, the        including the legislated duty on Islamic banks to ensure
functions are to assist and provide advice to the relevant     end to end Shariah compliance, and transition of Islamic
parties based on the decision of the SC, includes pre-         Deposits. IFSA also enables issuances of Shariah Standards
product approval, operation process, documentations,           & Practice Guides in which we are giving full commitment
    En. Hatta
activities    Salleh Unit, Support Unit, Bank Muamalats
           of Business                                         in reviewing the standard and analysing any gaps.
subsidiaries and external clients (upon request).
The role of Shariah Research is to perform in-depth research and studies on Shariah matters, including providing day-to-
day Shariah advice and consultancy to relevant parties, especially those involved in the product development process. For
FY2015, a total of 43 research papers have been completed comprising Shariah issues, product development and special
request by Shariah Committee and other parties.
Apart from our in-house research, Bank Muamalat goes the extra mile with the establishment of strategic alliances with
International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) and University Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) through research grants, details
as follows:-
For FY2015, Bank Muamalat has collaborated with Telaga Biru Sdn Bhd (TBSB) in a publication project under the sponsorship
and supervision of Bank Muamalat. This collaboration has published two books entitled Pelbagai Hukum Muamalat on
Deposit and Financing. On the other hand, one of the research papers granted to IIUM entitled An Empirical Study of the
Effectiveness of the Shariah Governance Framework SGF (2010) has been published by International Shariah Research
Academy for Islamic Finance (ISRA).
Human
Capital
                                                 A strong performance culture backed
                                                 by our 5 core values - Care, Respect,
                                                 Integrity, Innovative and Service
                                                 Oriented, becomes our aspiration
                                                 as we move forward in the most
                                                 competitive era of the financial
                                                 industry.
                                                                                               Jamilah Abdul Sallam
                                                                                               EVP, Human Capital Division
To fulfill the vision of becoming the preferred Islamic         continues to recruit employees from diverse backgrounds
financial services provider, Bank Muamalat requires great       to support the business needs and also to share the vision
people to work with us. At Bank Muamalat, attracting and        and the commitment to performance.
retaining talent is the most important part of corporate
responsibility and people strategies.                           As for Bank Muamalats efforts to attract new talent, we
                                                                focus in two areas:
To drive Bank Muamalat into the future phases of growth,
it adopts a holistic approach towards hiring, developing        I)	   Internal Talent
and motivating employees, and aligning workforce with a               Bank Muamalat assesses the potential of employees as
common set of core values to influence behavior and shape             part of the integrated people development cycle and
the corporate culture of Bank Muamalats operations.                  to identify successors for critical roles. Employees and
                                                                      managers discuss their career ambitions and jointly
As Bank Muamalat believes that the people is the most                 consider next steps.
important asset in ensuring Bank Muamalats growth
moving forward, business-oriented skills and highly             II) External Talent
competent candidates are what Bank Muamalat requires                Bank Muamalat works closely with universities to
in the medium and long term.                                        attract highly talented candidates. For critical and
                                                                    highly specialised areas, Bank Muamalat will source
ATTRACTING AND RETAINING TALENT                                     them from the market.
As part of Bank Muamalats Talent Management process,           Bank Muamalat uses its annual Bank-wide employee survey
an annual review of people plans for Bank Muamalat              to assess engagement levels and identify opportunities to
business and support units have been undertaken by Bank         improve ways of working and support employees to do
Muamalat.                                                       their best.
The review focuses on:-                                         From the survey, the employees scores are calculated to
i)	    Talent pipeline and succession planning;                 provide key indicators of how committed employees are
ii)	   Employee development initiatives and readiness           to Bank Muamalat and our customers.
	      of the employee in supporting business operations
	      and growth plans; and                                    PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (PMS)
iii)	  Talent Development programmes in each business
	      and support units.                                       Developing Bank Muamalats people is a crucial part of its
                                                                human resources process. Every year, Bank Muamalat uses
Bank Muamalat plans to develop talented and highly              the People Performance Management process to align its
skilled professionals through tailor-made training and          business targets with employees individual development
developmental training programmes. This is to ensure            plans and to define the actions required in order to
continuity in Bank Muamalats workforce and retain the          achieve the short-term goal as well as longer-term career
required knowledge, skills and competencies of the              development.
employees.
                                                                Bank Muamalat has further refined the PMS to incentivise
As Bank Muamalat grows, it has become more committed            and drive productivity among our employees.
to further develop the employees supervisory and
leadership skills to ensure they meet the requirement of        Identifying talent and Bank Muamalats succession
the organisation.                                               planning process completes the annual cycle, ensuring
                                                                further career opportunities for high-potential employees
TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT                                          and their participation in specific development
                                                                programmes.
Continuous training is vital for the employees to gain
insight, enhance their knowledge and improve their              During the year under review, Bank Muamalats employees
leadership as well as technical skills in discharging their     attrition rate was 7% which is below the industry average.
responsibilities effectively and to keep abreast with the       This reflects a high level of commitment and satisfaction.
development in the banking industry. All employees are
encouraged to attend at least two (2) training courses/
seminar within a financial year.
Corporate
Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility goes hand in hand with          Bubur Lambuk Distribution
Islamic banking or ethical banking and it is defined as
corporate initiative to assess and take responsibility for     During the Ramadan month, Bank Muamalat initiated a 
the companys effects on the environment and impact            bubur lambuk distribution to 930 staff in HQ.
on social welfare. The term generally applies to company
effort that goes beyond what may be required by                Bual Bicara Israk & Mikraj 2014
regulators or environmental protection groups. Corporate
social responsibility may also be referred to as corporate    In celebration of the Isra & Mikraj , Bank Muamalat
citizenship and can involve incurring short-term costs        organised a talk entitled Israk & Mikraj Menjana Peribadi
that do not provide an immediate financial benefit to          Bertaqwa. The talk was hosted by Ustaz Zulhazwan Ismail
the company, but instead promote positive social and           and the panelist was Mr Sham Kamikaze and Ustaz Dr.
environmental change.                                          Roslan Mohamed from Universiti Malaya.
As part of Bank Muamalats effort in striking a work life      Emergency Rescue Team to KELANTAN
balance for its employees, a sports & recreational club
has been introduced known as Bank Muamalat Sports &            This year, due to the flood situation in Kelantan, Bank
Recreation Club (SRC) and as part of its first initiative of   Muamalat has initiated a Bank Muamalat Malaysia Berhad
activities, SRC launched its Sihat@Muamalat Programme          Emergency Rescue Team. This team was sent to assist the
which initiates aerobic classes and a Gym for workout.         staff that was affected in the east coast area as well as the
                                                                      in hand with
respect, honesty and fairness. Programmes such as friendly
golf, bowling and other sports activities are being held
occasionally.
                                                                      Islamic banking or ethical banking
Recreational Retreat at Belum Rainforest Resort With
Jabatan Akauantan Negara Malaysia, organised by
                                                                      and it is defined as corporate
Business Banking Division.                                            initiative to assess and take
Bank Muamalat organised a recreational retreat to Belum               responsibility for the companys
Rainforest Resort which was participated by 65 participants
from Business Banking Division and various departments
                                                                      effects on the environment and
of Jabatan Akauntan Negara Malaysia (JANM). Among                     impact on social welfare.
the activities in this event were Discover the Royal Belum
Rainforest, Search for the Rafflesia Spot, Visit to the Orang
Asli Village at Kampung Aman Damai, Picnic Lunch at the
Sungai Ruok Waterfall and Bamboo Rafting.
Corporate
Responsibility
                                                Respect the
                                                victims of MH17
                                                and MH370
                                                Zoo Negara:
                                                Volunteer
                                                Programme
(Surah At Taghabun:16)
IFTAR with
Orpans & Tahfiz
At Glenmarie Golf & Country Club
                                      Back to
                                      School
                                      with
                                      Orphans
                                                   IFTAR with BMMB
                                                   Employees
                                                   At Sime Darby Convention Centre
                            Doa Selamat-BMMBs
                            15 years Anniversary
Calendar
of Events
	17-23 Jan 2014	            RoadShow 2014
	 23 Jan 2014	              MOU Signing Ceremony with Kuala Lumpur Indian And Malay Chambers
	 30 Jan 2014	              Doa Selamat @ PJ Branch
	 07 Feb 2014	              Continuous Improvement Annual Ceremony Dinner
	 04 Mar 2014	              Ceremony of Wakaf Donation for Islam Makmur Haemodialysis Centre, Kuantan, Pahang
	 08 Mar 2014	              Independence Mothers and Berusaha 1 Malaysia Seminar Programme
	 Apr 2014	                 Forum Perdana Kem Terendak
	 07 Apr 2014	              Forum Perdana at Pulapol, Jalan Semarak
	 10 Apr 2014	              Official Launch of Sports & Recreational Club
		                          Bus Handover Ceremony to Badan Kebajikan Taman Pengasih Sultan Hj Ahmad Shah
		                          Forum Perdana for Hari Ulang Tahun Tentera Darat ke  81 at Kem Terendak, Melaka
		                          Eurasia Tour 2014
	 19 Apr 2014	              Golf Muhibah with ATM
	 05 May 2014	              Oh Yeah Prize Giving Ceremony
	 06 May 2014	              Signing Ceremony between Bank Muamalat and USIM
	 28 May 2014	              Wakaf Donation for Sekolah Rendah Islam Al-Huda dan Institusi Latihan Ilmuan Al-Quran (ILIQ) Ceremony
	 29 May 2014	              Forum Perdana @ I-CAM Pekan and Site Visit to Volkwagen & Mercedes Assembly Plant
	 06 Jun 2014	              The Official Launch of BizSTAR-I
	 17 Jun 2014	              Aquaria Adventure with PDK4 Children
	 18 Jun 2014	              Bank Muamalat Collaborates with My Angkasa Amanah
	 25 Jun 2014	              The Official Opening Of Bank Muamalat Bureau De Change
Wakaf
Selangor Muamalat
Wakaf Selangor Muamalat (WSM) has been in the market for 3 years since its inception on 27 September 2012. Since then,
WSM received overwhelming response from the public. As at FY2015, total wakaf fund collected was RM10,682,566 while
total collection for FY2015 alone was RM4,427,846. For FY2015, WSM through its Joint Management Committee (JMC)
between Bank Muamalat and Perbadanan Wakaf Selangor (PWS) has approved RM2,917,197 and disbursed RM2,499,082
in wakaf projects.
Tabung
Mawaddah
Tabung Mawaddah (TM) Committee has been in                      TABUNG MAWADDAH MICRO FINANCING FUND
operation since 2002, dedicated to aid and implement
charitable activities to 8 Asnaf recipients (Fakir, Miskin,     Offered under the concept of Qardhul Hassan (no profit
Amil, Muallaf, Riqab, Gharimin, Fisabillah and Musafir)         changed) which targeted to assist the poor or needy
and non-asnaf recipients. TM is funded by zakat and alms        individuals who are about to start-up a new business or
(sadaqah) sources contributed by Bank Muamalat and              expand their existing business with minimum loan of
the staff. The portion for the non-Asnaf recipients are         RM600 and maximum up to RM10, 000 of loan amount.
funded via sadaqah sources.
                                                                The repayment plan is based on their affordability with
The objectives of TM Committees establishment are:             a tenure of up to 3 years. As at March 2015, we have 216
	     	 to provide assistance and financial aid to the         individuals under review with total financing amount of
		needy;                                                        RM404,000.
	     	 to ensure that each donation, charity and alms
		 reach the targeted groups;
	     	 to carry out Bank Muamalats corporate
		 social responsibilities
	     	 to the society on the basis of Maslahah Ammah;
	     	 to instill the spirit and caring nature of Malaysian
		 society creation of a harmonious society; and
	     	 to practice the teaching of Islam in helping the
		needy.
Statement
on Corporate Governance
The Board of Bank Muamalat acknowledges that good           engage in any business dealing or other relationship
corporate governance practices form the cornerstone         with Bank Muamalat in order that they are capable of
of an effective and responsible organisation. The Board     exercising independent judgement and act in the best
is fully committed to the recommendations of the            interest of Bank Muamalat and its shareholders.
Malaysian Code of Corporate Governance (the Revised
Code) as well as the Guidelines on Corporate Governance     A brief profile of each member of the Director is presented
for Licensed Islamic Banks (Revised BNM/GP1-i) issued by    on pages 16 to 26 of this Annual Report.
BNM.
                                                            Directors Code of Ethics
Therefore the Board continuously strives to ensure that
best practices are adopted in establishing accountability   The Directors continue to observe a code of ethics based
and integrity of the Board and Management. Hence the        on the code of conduct expected of Directors of financial
Board will continue to ensure that the right leadership,    institutions as set out in the BNM/GP7- Part 1 Code of
policy, strategy and internal controls, are well in place   Ethics: Guidelines on the Code of Conduct for Directors,
in order to continuously deliver and sustain Bank           Officers and Employees in the Banking Industry and the
Muamalats value propositions for the benefit of its        Company Directors Code of Ethics established by the
stakeholders generally and at the same time, ensure         Companies Commission of Malaysia.
continuing momentum towards reaching Bank
Muamalats aspirations to become the preferred Islamic      Roles & Responsibilities of the Board
financial services provider.
                                                            The Board has the responsibility of ensuring the strategic
BOARD OF DIRECTORS                                          guidance of Bank Muamalat, the effective monitoring of
                                                            management, and accountability to Bank Muamalat and
Board Structure, Composition and Processes                  shareholders. In discharging their duties, the Board act
                                                            on well-informed basis, in good faith, with due diligence
The present size and composition of the Board is well       and care, and in the best interests of Bank Muamalat and
balanced. As presently constituted, the Board has the       stakeholders.
stability, continuity and commitment as well as the
capacity to discharge its responsibilities effectively.     The Directors in discharging their duties and
                                                            responsibilities are constantly mindful of the public
The Board currently comprises 10 members, 1 CEO/            interests and concerns of the business community,
Executive Director and 9 Non- Executive Directors, of       particularly those of customers, shareholders and all
which 5 are Independent Directors. The Non-Independent      other stakeholders.
Non- Executive Directors are the representatives of the
shareholders namely DRB-HICOM Berhad and Khazanah           The key duties of the Board include the following:-
Nasional Berhad. The current composition of the Board
is in compliance with the Revised BNM/GP1-I as more         	      Review and approve strategies, business
than one-third of the Board members are Independent                 plans and significant policies and monitor
Directors.                                                          managements performance in implementing
                                                                    them;
The Non- Executive Directors do not participate in the
day-to-day management of Bank Muamalat and do not
	    Set corporate values and clear lines of            	      Ensure approval and oversight of Bank
      responsibility and accountability that are                 Muamalats capital management framework
      communicated throughout the organisation;                  and its related policies, processes and strategies;
	    Ensure competent management;                       	      Ensure approval of capital allocation on risk-
	    Ensure that the operation of the Islamic bank              adjusted basis appropriate levels of capital
      are conducted prudently, and within the                    is maintained in line with the approved Risk
      framework of relevant laws and policies;                   Appetite and risk profile; and
	    Ensures that the Islamic bank established          	      Ensure approval of proposed issuance, call or
      comprehensive risk management policies,                    redemption of any capital instruments and
      process and infrastructure, to manage the                  ordinary shares and for proposed dividend
      various types of risks;                                    payments and reinvestment.
	    Institute comprehensive policies, process and
      infrastructure to ensure Shariah compliance        Directors may also seek independent professional advice,
      in all aspects of the Islamic banks operations,   at Bank Muamalats expense, when deemed necessary for
      products and activities;                           the proper discharge of their duties.
	    Set up an effective internal audit department,
      staffed with qualified internal audit personnel    Board Meetings and Access to Information
      to perform internal audit function, covering the
      financial, management and Shariah Audit;           Bank Muamalats Board Meetings are scheduled in
	    Establish procedure to avoid self-serving          advance before the end of the financial year, specifically
      practices and conflicts of interest including      before the end of the calendar year, so as to allow
      dealing of any form with related entities;         members of the Board to plan ahead and fit the coming
	    Ensure protection of the interests of the          years Board and Board Committees meetings into their
      depositors, particularly investment account        respective schedules.
      holders;
	    Establish and ensure the effective functioning     The Board meets every month with additional meetings
      of various board committees;                       convened as and when urgent issues and/or important
	    Ensure the Islamic bank has a beneficial           decisions are required to be taken between the scheduled
      influence on the economic well-being of its        meetings. Scheduled Board meetings are structured with
      community;                                         a pre-set agenda.
	    Ensure development, implementation and
      maintain an effective oversight over Bank          The Directors are provided with the agenda and the
      Muamalats Data Management and MIS                 meeting papers containing information relevant to the
      Framework and ensure that the MIS Framework        matters to be deliberated in advance of the meeting dates
      is aligned with business and risk strategies of    for their perusal. At each meeting, the Board receives
      the Bank;                                          updates from the respective Chairmen/representatives of
	    Ensure establishment and adherence to the          the Board Audit Committee and Board Risk Management
      internal policies governing risk concentrations    Committee on matters that have been deliberated at both
      by reviewing it annually. The independent          committees, as well as on matters that require attention.
      review is to be conducted regularly to verify
      compliance to the prudential limit and             The Board has direct access to the information of Bank
      standards set by Bank Muamalat as well as the      Muamalat through the Senior Management as well as
      established internal policies;                     the services of the Company Secretary. The Company
Statement
on Corporate Governance
Secretary also ensures that a quorum is present at the commencement of each Board and Committees meeting in order
to constitute a valid meeting.
The Board convened 13 meetings for the FY2015 and the attendance of each director in office during the financial year is
set out below:-
                                                                                            Number of meetings
 Directors
                                                                                     Held        Attended         %
 Tan Sri Dato Dr Mohd Munir Abdul Majid
 (Chairman/Independent Non-Executive Director)                                        13            13           100
The Board assumes the responsibility to further enhance the skills and knowledge of the members on the relevant new
laws and regulations and changing commercial risks, as well as to keep abreast with developments in the financial services
industry. Each director attends at least one training programme, which is to be specifically identified by Bank Muamalat
for its directors during the financial year.
Bank Muamalat is governed by the Revised BNM/GP1-i in respect of the appointment of new directors and the re-
appointment of its existing directors upon the expiry of their respective tenures of office as approved by BNM. All
appointment of directors is subject to the approval by BNM.
The primary responsibility of the directors appointment/re-appointment has been delegated to the Board Nomination
Re-election of Directors
Statement
on Corporate Governance
BOARD COMMITTEES
The Board has established several Board Committees whose compositions and terms of reference are in accordance with
the Revised BNM/GP1-i as well as best practices prescribed by the Revised Code.
	     The Board Audit Committee comprises exclusively of Non-Executive Directors of the Board, responsible to fulfill the
      oversight function in relation to the adequacy and integrity of system of internal controls and financial reporting, risk
      management and compliance with internal policies, procedures and external applicable rules and regulations.
	     The Board Audit Committee is authorised by the Board to investigate any activities within its Terms of Reference and
      has unrestricted access to both the internal and external auditors and Senior Management team of Bank Muamalat.
	     The composition of the Board Audit Committee and the attendance of the meetings held in the year under review are
      as follows:-
                                                                                                Number of meetings
      Directors
                                                                                         Held        Attended         %
      Tengku Dato Seri Hasmuddin Tengku Othman
                                                                                          16            16           100
      (Chairman/Independent Non-Executive Director)
      Haji Abdul Jabbar Abdul Majid
                                                                                          16            16           100
      (Non-Independent Non-Executive Director)
      Hisham Zainal Mokhtar
      (Non-Independent Non-Executive Director)                                             2             2           100
      *resigned w.e.f. 30 June 2014
      Dato Azmi Abdullah
                                                                                          16            15            94
      (Independent Non-Executive Director)
      Dato Haji Kamil Khalid Ariff
                                                                                          16            16           100
      (Independent Non-Executive Director)
    The objectives and activities carried out by the Board Audit Committee during the year under review are summarised
    in the Statement of Internal Control as stated in pages 106 to 108 of this Annual Report.
	   The Board Nomination Committee provides a formal and transparent procedure for the appointment of directors, CEO
    and members of Shariah Committee as well as assessment of effectiveness of board as a whole, Shariah Committee
    members and performance of CEO and key senior management officers.
	   The Board Nomination Committee comprises of Non-Executive Directors and the Chairman who is independent.
    Meetings are held as and when required for the Board Nomination Committee to deliberate on related matters. The
    members of the Nomination Committee and the attendance for the year under review are as follows:-
                                                                                           Number of meetings
     Directors
                                                                                    Held         Attended              %
     Tengku Dato Seri Hasmuddin Tengku Othman
                                                                                     11              11              100
     (Chairman/Independent Non-Executive Director)
     Dato Sri Che Khalib Mohamad Noh
                                                                                     11               6               55
     (Non-Independent Non-Executive Director)
     Haji Mohd Izani Ghani
                                                                                     11              11              100
     (Non-Independent Non-Executive Director)
     Hisham Zainal Mokhtar
     (Non-Independent Non-Executive Director)                                         3               2               67
     *resigned w.e.f. 30 June 2014
     Haji Abdul Jabbar Abdul Majid
                                                                                     11              11              100
     (Non-Independent Non-Executive Director)
     Dato Azmi Abdullah
                                                                                     11              10               91
     (Independent Non-Executive Director)
The primary duties and responsibilities of the Nomination Committee are as follows:-
    	 Establishes minimum requirements for the Board that is, the required mix of skills, experience, qualification
       and other core competencies required of a director. The Board Nomination Committee is also responsible for
       establishing minimum requirements for the CEO.
    	 Recommends and assesses the nominees for directorship, board committee members, and Shariah Committee
       members as well as the CEO.
    	 Oversees the overall composition of the Board, in terms of the appropriate size and skills, and balance between
       executive directors, non-executive directors and independent directors through annual review.
    	 Recommends to the Board the removal of a director/CEO/Shariah Committee member from the Board/management/
       committee if the director/CEO/Shariah Committee member is ineffective, errant and negligent in discharging his
       responsibilities.
    	 Establishes a mechanism for the annual formal assessment on the effectiveness of the board as a whole, assessment
       of the performance individual directors, the performance of the CEO and other key senior management officers
       (Executive Vice President (EVP) and above).
    	 Oversees the appointment, management succession planning and performance evaluation of key senior
       management officers.
Statement
on Corporate Governance
    	 Recommends to the board the removal of key senior management officers if they are ineffective, errant and
       negligent in discharging their responsibilities.
	   The Board Remuneration Committee provides a formal and transparent procedure for developing a remuneration
    policy for Directors, CEO and key senior management officers and ensuring that Bank Muamalats compensation
    package is competitive and consistent with its culture, objectives and strategies.
	   In addition, the Board Remuneration Committee is also responsible for developing remuneration policy for the Shariah
    Committee members that commensurate with their roles and responsibilities. The Board Remuneration Committee
    will then recommend the proposed remuneration package to the Board for its approval.
The composition and the attendance for the year under review of the Board Remuneration Committee are as follows:-
                                                                                            Number of meetings
       Directors
                                                                                     Held       Attended           %
      Dato Azmi Abdullah
                                                                                       8            8             100
      (Chairman/Independent Non-Executive Director)
      Dato Sri Che Khalib Mohamad Noh
                                                                                       8            5              63
      (Non-Independent Non-Executive Director)
      Haji Mohd Izani Ghani
                                                                                       8            8             100
      (Non-Independent Non-Executive Director)
      Haji Ismail Ibrahim
      (Non-Independent Non-Executive Director)                                         3            2              67
      *resigned w.e.f. 30 June 2014
      Haji Abdul Jabbar Abdul Majid
                                                                                       8            8             100
      (Non-Independent Non-Executive Director)
      Tengku Dato Seri Hasmuddin Tengku Othman
                                                                                       8            8             100
      (Independent Non-Executive Director)
The specific responsibilities of the Board Remuneration Committee include amongst others, the following:-
	     	 Provide a formal and transparent procedure for developing the remuneration for directors, board committee
         members, CEO, Shariah committee and key senior management officers and to ensure that their compensation is
         competitive and consistent with Bank Muamalats culture, objectives and strategy.
	      Recommend to the Board on the policies, strategies and framework for Bank Muamalat in relation to the
         remuneration, rewards and benefits.
	      Recommend the remuneration of the Shariah Committee members for the full boards approval. The remuneration
         shall commensurate and reflect the roles and responsibilities of the Shariah Committee.
	   The Board Risk Management Committee is authorised to oversee Managements activities in managing credit, market,
    liquidity, operational, legal and other risk and to ensure that the risk management process is in place and functioning.
    In addition, the Board Risk Management Committee is also responsible for ensuring that a comprehensive risk
    management infrastructure is in place for managing the risk associated with Mudharabah and Musharakah financing
    or investments.
	   The composition and the attendance for the year under review of the Board Risk Management Committee are as
    follows:-
                                                                                              Number of meetings
     Directors
                                                                                       Held          Attended              %
     Dato Azmi Abdullah
                                                                                        14               14              100
     (Chairman/Independent Non-Executive Director)
     Haji Mohd Izani Ghani
                                                                                        14               10               71
     (Non-Independent Non-Executive Director)
     Haji Abdul Jabbar Abdul Majid
                                                                                        14               12               86
     (Non-Independent Non-Executive Director)
     Tengku Dato Seri Hasmuddin Tengku Othman
                                                                                        14               14              100
     (Independent Non-Executive Director)
     Dato Haji Kamil Khalid Ariff
                                                                                        14               14              100
     (Independent Non-Executive Director)
    			
	   The objectives and activities carried out by the Board Risk Management Committee during the year under review are
    summarised in the Risk Management Statement as stated in pages 109 to 117 of this Annual Report.
5. Shariah Committee
    The Shariah Committee was established in accordance with the requirements of the Islamic Financial Services Act
    2013 as well as Bank Muamalats Articles of Association, which prescribe the setting up a Shariah body to ensure that
    Bank Muamalats conduct its affairs in accordance with the Shariah principles. Members of the Shariah Committee are
    scholars renowned for their knowledge and experience in Fiqh Muamalat.
Further details of this Shariah Committee are set out on Pages 30 to 37 of this Annual Report.
Statement
on Corporate Governance
	   In addition to the above committees, the Board has also established a Board Muamalat Banking Solutions Committee
    (Board MBS Committee). The Special Board committee is formed to provide direction, guidance and oversight for IT
    solutions development, implementation and maintenance for the Bank and also to provide recommendation to the
    Board on the proposed solution.
	   The composition and the attendance for the year under review of the Board MBS Committee are as follows:-
	
                                                                                           Number of meetings
      Directors
                                                                                    Held       Attended          %
      Dato Haji Kamil Khalid Ariff
                                                                                     14           14            100
      (Chairman/Independent Non-Executive Director)
      Dato Mohamed Hazlan Mohamed Hussain
                                                                                     14           14            100
      (Chairman/Non-Independent Non-Executive Director)
      Hisham Zainal Mokhtar
      (Non-Independent Non-Executive Director)                                        7            1            14
      *resigned w.e.f. 30 June 2014
      Dato Azmi Abdullah
                                                                                     14           14            100
      (Independent Non-Executive Director)
The specific responsibilities of the Board MBS Committee include amongst others, the following:-
	 	 To provide direction, guidance and oversight for IT solutions development, implementation and maintenance for
		 Bank Muamalat.
	 	 To ensure the MBS solution aligns in accordance to the business objectives and needs and to be implemented
		 according to the project schedule.
	 	 To ensure proper project management including project organisation, kick-off, tracking and monitoring is carried
		out.
	 	 To provide the oversight function on the provision of adequate and competent resources in terms of manpower
		 and financials for the implementation.
	   The MBS Go-Live cut over date was on 16 June 2014 and the Special Board Committee has been disbanded since April
    2015.
	   The Board has the overall responsibility for maintaining a system of internal controls that provides reasonable assurance
    of effective and efficient operations and compliance with laws and regulations, as well as internal procedures and
    guidelines.
	   The Statement on Internal Control and activities of Bank Muamalat are summarized on page 106 to 108 of this Annual
    Report.
	   The details of related party transactions of Bank Muamalat are disclosed on pages 218 to 219 under the Audited
    Financial Statement for the financial year ended 31 March 2015 of this Annual Report.
9. Management Reports
	   At every Board meeting, a progress report on the on-going projects of Bank Muamalat pertaining to products and
    services, information technology, recruitment, human resource, policies and procedures, regulatory requirement as
    well as income and expenses are submitted to the Board for review.
	   As part of its shared values, Bank Muamalat is continuously developing and strengthening its relationship with the
    community. Through its Corporate Responsibility initiatives, Bank Muamalat willingly gives back to the community
    not just in monetary terms but also through the provision of products, services as well as educating the public on the
    importance of Islamic financial services through a series of ceramahs.
Further details of the Corporate Responsibility Initiatives are set out on Pages 86 to 89 of this Annual Report.
Statement
on Internal Controls
RESPONSIBILITY
The Board recognises the importance of maintaining a             system of internal controls can only provide a reasonable
sound system of internal controls and risk management            rather than an absolute assurance against risk of material
practices as well as reviewing their adequacy and                misstatements on financial information and records
effectiveness to safeguard shareholders value. Robust and        or against fraud or losses. The concept of reasonable
dynamic risk management and internal controls are vital in       assurance also acknowledges that the control procedures
ensuring stability of the business in facing rapid changes       cost should not exceed the expected benefits.The Board
of business operations today. The Board reviews and is           is of the opinion that, for the period under review up
ultimately responsible for the adequacy and integrity            to the issuance date of the annual report and financial
of the internal controls systems in Bank Muamalat in             statements, the system of internal controls in place at Bank
addressing business and operational risks.The Board              Muamalat is appropriate and adequate to safeguard the
diligently exercises overall responsibility in ensuring that     stakeholders interest and its assets. The control structure
Bank Muamalats system of internal controls is adequate          and process which have been instituted throughout
and effective to manage the risk profiles within Bank            Bank Muamalat are reviewed and enhanced from time to
Muamalats risk appetite. It is pertinent to note that, such a   time as to suit the changes in Bank Muamalats business
system is designed to manage Bank Muamalats key areas           environment and risk appetite. As at the date of approval
of risks within an acceptable risk appetite, rather than to      of this statement, the improvement of the internal controls
guarantee total elimination of risk of failure to achieve        system remained in place.
Bank Muamalats objectives and goals. As such, the
The Board Audit Committee (BAC) has the authority and       The BAC is supported by the Internal Audit Department
is empowered by the Board of Bank Muamalat to review          (IAD), which forms an integral part of the governance
the adequacy and effectiveness of the internal controls       processes in Bank Muamalat. The Internal Auditors evaluate
system and risk management framework implemented by           and contribute to the improvement of governance, risk
Bank Muamalat and its subsidiary companies.                   management, and control processes using a systematic
                                                              and disciplined approach. The IAD assists BAC by providing
	 Convene meetings or meet with members of the               reasonable assurance and value-added recommendations
   Management, Internal Auditors, External Auditors, and      on the adequacy, and effectiveness of the system of
   Officers of Bank Muamalat or outside counsel.              internal controls and financial reporting, and compliance
                                                              with internal policies, procedures, and external applicable
   Conduct or authorise investigations to be carried out     rules and regulations. The IAD conducts independent risk-
    into any matter within the scope of the BACs duties.     based audits based on annual audit plan approved by BAC.
   Appoint, employ, and oversee the work of public           In preparation of the audit plan, IAD has taken the business
    accounting firm in conducting the annual financial        strategy, objectives, risk, and internal control environment
    audit, whose partners subsequently would report           of Bank Muamalat, and activities of its operating and
    directly on outcome of the work to the BAC.               support units into consideration. The IAD evaluates
                                                              the associated risks, internal controls, and compliance
   Review connected party transactions and related party     matters through a structured risk-based audit approach
    transactions, as well as review any write off request     and periodic audit on units, branches, and key business
    from the Management.                                      processes of which, the frequency is determined by the
                                                              level of risk assessed, and the IAD provides independent
   Review and discuss with the Management and the            and objective reports for BACs review and deliberation in
    External Auditors on results of the audits, and all       their periodic meetings.
    matters required to be communicated to the BAC
    under generally accepted accounting standards.
OTHER KEY ELEMENTS OF INTERNAL CONTROLS                       Defined authority limits have been established for each
                                                              level within Bank Muamalat to approve acquisition and
The other key elements incorporated by the Board,             disposals of assets, approval of credit items, writing
which contributes to an effective internal controls system    off operational and credit items, as well as approving
includes:                                                     expenses. In regards to Bank Muamalats commitment
                                                              towards its Whistle Blowing Policy, the Board has
Organisation Structure                                        established Muamalat Ethics Line to enable employees
Establishment of a formalised organisation structure that     to raise concerns in a responsible manner regarding any
provides clear demarcation of reporting and responsibility    unprofessional or unethical conduct, and to have such
for ensuring proper assignment of authorities, segregation    concerns properly investigated. All disclosures under this
of duties, and accountability towards Bank Muamalat.          Policy will be managed by a third party appointed by Bank
                                                              Muamalat and will be treated as strictly confidential.
Business Plan and Budget
Annual business plan and budget are prepared and
submitted to the Board for approval, where performance
achievements are reviewed against the targeted results
on monthly basis to allow corrective actions to be taken to
mitigate risks. The Board reviews regular reports from the
Management on the key financial and operating statistics,
as well as legal and regulatory matters.
Statement
on Risk Management
    Bank Muamalats management of risk is undertaken in an integrated approach,
    which essentially looks at a broad spectrum of risks inherent in Bank Muamalats
    business operations and manages them under an established governance and
    oversight structure.
    Hence, it is imperative for these risks to be managed in a holistic and timely manner.
    To achieve this, Bank Muamalat conducts ongoing analysis of its risk profile against
    current and projected operating conditions. Appropriate risk management
    strategies are then formulated and implemented under an established governance
    structure to ensure prompt monitoring, review and response.
BUSINESS CONDITIONS
In 2014 and continuing into the early 2015, the financial                     tighter capital and liquidity standards are adding on to
services industry saw growing challenges in the form of                       the increasingly complex financial landscape which has
rising funding and operational costs, continued margin                        resulted in higher need for regulatory compliance and
compression, volatility in currencies and commodity                           adoption of more cost efficient approaches. These have
prices, and dampening consumer demand. Banks were                             necessitated the build-up of substantial infrastructure and
reporting a slowdown in financing growth and this has                         related capabilities in the form of systems, processes and
been largely attributed to weaker consumer sentiments                         expertise, and have sent financial institutions scrambling
coupled with tighter regulatory prudential measures                           into further consolidation mode and in pursuit of lower-
introduced to control household debt levels.                                  cost and sustainable funding sources.
Amidst global economic and geopolitical uncertainties, Locally, BNM has introduced revisions to its CAFIB1
__________
1
 The Capital Adequacy Framework for Islamic Banks (CAFIB) issued on 27 June 2013 and its related documents.
Statement
on Risk Management
guidelines, which is modeled after the BCBSs revised                             promoting the country as a major Islamic financial hub, the
capital and liquidity reform measures (generally referred                         IFSA is a comprehensive legal framework that amalgamates
to as the Basel III reform package ). The new capital and                         the previous legislative acts and other related BNM
liquidity standards came into effect on 1 January 2013                            guidelines on banking and takaful. It integrates corporate
and are being implemented under a gradual phase-in                                and Shariah governance, in alignment with global best
transitional arrangement until its full compliance in year                        practices, and enforces them as a substantive law.
2019. As banks rush to comply with the minimum liquidity
(LCR) requirement which shall become mandatory in June                            Under the IFSA, IFIs are required to comply with the
2015, the banking sector saw intense competition for                              Shariah and operational standards issued by BNM and
stable deposits, which in turn resulted in higher cost of                         other applicable regulatory bodies, which essentially
funds.                                                                            covers all facets of the IFIs business objectives, operations
                                                                                  and product offerings. One of the key elements of the IFSA
In the run-up to the Basel III2 implementation, Bank                              is the enforcement of end-to-end Shariah compliance in
Muamalat has taken early steps to ensure compliance to                            every aspect of the IFIs operations. In business dealings,
these regulatory requirements. To address its funding and                         IFIs are required to ensure that all Shariah contracts comply
liquidity requirements, Bank Muamalat has formulated                              with the Shariah rules and principles and sufficiently
and implemented several strategies to reduce its reliance                         reflect the underlying risks and rewards of the financial
on wholesale deposits and to increase more stable sources                         transactions.
of funding. These include intensifying acquisition of stable
deposits such as consumer/retail SME CASA, building on                            Pursuant to the IFSA3, IFIs are required to distinguish
the DRB group synergy to tap for deposits from group                              their deposit products from investments, thus pushing
companies and employees, and sourcing for longer-                                 for greater diversification of their product offerings
term funding alternatives. A dedicated department and                             and services. Deposits previously structured under
taskforce were specifically set up to initiate, execute and                       mudharabah concept are considered as investments
oversee these deposit drive initiatives.                                          and has to be segregated from other types of deposits.
                                                                                  Banks have until June 2015 to fully transition the affected
The capital standards under the revised CAFIB guidelines                          deposit products and come up with mudharabah and
are primarily aimed at enhancing the quality of capital                           musyarakah-based investment accounts as new offerings
held by banks in support of their business activities and                         to would-be investors. The move is seen as providing
risk profile. To maximise absorption of potential losses,                         greater flexibility and opportunity for IFIs to broaden and
banks are required to hold higher amounts of capital                              diversify its product structures and explore possibilities
buffers and high quality capital instruments. As these                            for more capital relief in the form of specific asset-backed
forms of capital would entail higher cost, Bank Muamalat                          investment accounts.
has formulated and implemented a strategic action plan to
ensure regulatory compliance and achieve optimal capital                          Bank Muamalat has initiated a review of its products,
utilisation.                                                                      services and processes to ensure compliance to the
                                                                                  regulatory requirements and has accordingly developed
The Islamic Financial Services Act 2013 (IFSA) , which came                       alternative deposit products as well as investment
into force in June 2013, has brought about various changes                        accounts for its customers. While the transition of deposit
to the local banking scene. Aimed at strengthening and                            accounts are expected to be smooth, introduction of
__________
2
 The rules are detailed out in the documents Basel III: A global regulatory framework for more resilient banks and banking systems, Basel III: International
  framework for liquidity risk measurement, standards and monitoring, and subsequent additional documents issued by the Basel Committee on Banking
  Supervision (BCBS).
 3
  The Islamic Financial Services Act 2013 repeals the Islamic Banking Act 1983 and the Takaful Act 1984 and incorporates elements from the Payment System
  Act 2003 and the Exchange Control Act 1953.
Statement
on Risk Management
the new investment accounts is projected to undergo a          process of awareness-building, educating, and open
gradual familiarisation and acceptance phase, particularly     communication with the various stakeholders within
as the market has to be accustomed to the non-capital          the organisation. Constant engagement is maintained
protected feature of the investment products.                  between the risk management team and the business
MANAGING RISKS                                                 units to facilitate and foster greater understanding and
                                                               cooperation towards better risk management.
Bank Muamalat formulates risk management strategies to
ensure that risks are effectively addressed and managed.       RISK GOVERNANCE
Risk strategies are also developed with the aim of
balancing risks with business objectives and ensuring          Bank Muamalats risk governance structure is based on a
that the growth plans are well supported by a defined and      distributed function approach, where risk governance and
effective risk infrastructure.                                 management is taken under three distinct lines of defence.
                                                               The first line of defence in managing risks lies within
Among the key strategies are to establish a comprehensive      the business units where risks are directly undertaken
risk infrastructure and a risk assessment and monitoring       and assumed in the day-to-day business activities and
framework. The risk assessment framework is a systematic       operation. As front-liners, the business units are responsible
and ongoing process of identifying, evaluating, monitoring,    for carrying out the established processes for identifying,
managing and responding to existing and emerging risks         mitigating and managing risks within their respective
in line with Bank Muamalats business objectives as well       environment in alignment with Bank Muamalats strategic
as changes in the operating and regulatory environments.       targets.
Embedded in the risk infrastructure is the risk management
approach and processes where through these processes,          The second line of defence, which comprises the risk
Bank Muamalat is able to identify and measure significant      management control functions and compliance, ensures
risks, define its risk appetite, and finally, formulate        the independent oversight and management of all
appropriate strategies to manage and mitigate them.            material risks undertaken by Bank Muamalat. The risk
                                                               management function provides specialised resources for
Following the conversion of Bank Muamalats key core           developing risk frameworks, policies, methodologies and
banking systems under the Muamalat Banking Solution            tools for risk identification, measurement and control. It
(MBS) implementation in mid 2014, Bank Muamalat has            also provides the control function, which monitors the
embarked onto the next phase of the MBS project which          risks by using various key indicators and reports, guided
covers the essential risk analytics and management             by the established risk appetite and tolerance limits.
system. Deemed as a key addition to the risk infrastructure,
the newly acquired systems would address and enhance           Finally, the third line of defence, which involves internal
Bank Muamalats future risk management capabilities            audit, provides the independent review and assurance
to meet new challenges and the growing regulatory              on the adequacy of the risk management processes and
compliance needs. These include the credit risk datamart,      effectiveness of the first two lines of defence in fulfilling
market risk and asset-liability management (ALM) systems,      their mandates.
and enhancement of the operational risk assessment and
loss data management system.
Statement
on Risk Management
The risk governance structure comprises board and management level committees as well as risk control units, which are
guided by a reporting hierarchy to enforce the overall governance and oversight of Bank Muamalats risks. Each committee
and control unit has its own defined responsibilities and delegated authorities.
The Board holds the ultimate responsibility for the overall risk governance and management. This includes determination
of risk strategies, defining the risk appetite and ensuring effective of control and monitoring of risks. The Board is also
responsible for ensuring the risk management structure is clearly defined and performs effectively.
The Board is supported by two board-level committees,           existing risk management framework for its adequacy and
namely the Board Risk Management Committee (BRMC)               for ensuring that a robust infrastructure and systems as
and the Shariah Committee (SC), each with distinct roles and    well as resources are in place to monitor risk and capital
responsibilities. The committees, through the authorities       positions.
delegated by the Board, execute and implement Bank
Muamalats strategies, policies and methodologies and           Shariah compliance management is enforced by the
ensure that these are kept in line with the Boards vision.     Board through the SC. The SC functions independently
                                                                from the Board and is tasked with the responsibility of
The BRMC is a board-level forum that focuses and                understanding Shariah issues in all activities assumed
deliberates on all risk management issues. The committee        by Bank Muamalat. The SC also serves as advisory to the
oversees and ensures the effective management of risks          Board and the management team on all Shariah matters.
and enforcement of the approved risk tolerances and limits.     Shariah management and compliance has to be closely
It is also responsible for the review and assessment of the     aligned to ensure Bank Muamalat has a full view of all risks
and is able to put in place an integrated and end-to-end         breached, the tolerance limit will trigger the appropriate
Shariah compliance management.                                   actions needed to address the situation. The business-level
                                                                 RAS are jointly developed with the business lines and the
At the management level, specialised risk committees             actual performance are measured and monitored against
have been set up to oversee specific risk areas and              the risk appetite on a regular basis.
perform the control functions. These cover the
asset-liability management, credit evaluation and                CAPITAL MANAGEMENT
management, investment management, and operational
risk management. To support the above committees, a              Bank Muamalats capital strategies and approach
dedicated Risk Management Department has been formed             in managing capital risk is embedded in the capital
to carry out the day-to-day risk management functions,           management framework. Developed in accordance
independent from business lines and targets.                     with the capital standards as outlined in the BNMs
                                                                 CAFIB guidelines, Bank Muamalats capital management
RISK APPETITE                                                    framework adopts forward-looking and risk-based
                                                                 approaches and principles.
Bank Muamalats risk appetite framework comprises a
governance structure and a set of risk appetite statements       The main capital management objective is to ensure
(RAS) which are outlined based on the stakeholders              that capital resources are efficiently used while striving
expectation. It serves as a foundation for Bank Muamalats       for business and strategic targets. To achieve this, Bank
risk culture and sets out the principles and policies to guide   Muamalat assesses its capital requirements and develops
business activities and decision making process towards          an annual capital plan. The plan contains a capital forecast
achieving an optimal balance between risk and return.            covering a three-year planning cycle to ensure that
                                                                 sufficient capital is maintained to meet business needs
The RAS incorporates Bank Muamalats key performance             and to support the risks associated with these activities.
indicators such as earnings volatility, liquidity and capital
ratios. At the strategic level, Bank Muamalats tolerance        To assess the capital requirement, Bank Muamalat
for earnings volatility and liquidity are clearly stated to      applies the regulatory Standardised Approach for credit
facilitate appropriate governance and oversight. Tolerance       and market risks and the Basic Indicator Approach for
on liquidity is set based on thresholds on key liquidity         operational risk for the measurement and quantification
ratios. The risk appetite also defines Bank Muamalats risk      of its risk-weighted assets. As prescribed under the ICAAP,
capacity in terms of the capital levels required to support      other possible major risks that are not covered under these
its business activities as well as the capital buffers deemed    measurement approaches are also assessed to determine
adequate to meet regulatory and strategic requirements.          further capital requirement, if any.
Regarded as a key cornerstone of the risk management             Bank Muamalats capital position is closely monitored
framework, Bank Muamalat formulates strategic and                against the capital plans and internal capital targets to
business plans in alignment with the Board-approved              ensure that they remain within set targets or to trigger
risk appetite statements. Aside for business planning,           preemptive or remedial actions, if deemed necessary. Bank
the RAS is also applied in developing risk management            Muamalat conducts regular stress tests to evaluate the
strategies. As it provides the basis for Bank Muamalats         impact of specific macro-economic and risk factors on its
risk-taking boundaries, risk tolerance limits and measures       capital adequacy levels and for formulation of appropriate
are formulated based on the approved risk appetite and           capital management strategies.
serve as a reference point for all risk taking and monitoring
activities. In the event a risk boundary is approached or        Stress testing is performed to identify early warning signs
Statement
on Risk Management
and potential risk events that may adversely impact Bank         CREDIT RISK MANAGEMENT
Muamalats risk profile and business direction. It is also
used to determine the appropriate capital buffers needed         Credit risk is defined as the risk of a financial loss if any
to be maintained to ensure that Bank Muamalat does not           customer or counterparty fails to meet its obligations
breach the minimum regulatory ratios under actual and            to Bank Muamalat as they fall due. It is a primary source
stressed scenarios.                                              of risk to Bank Muamalat, arising mainly from retail and
                                                                 wholesale financing exposures which form the bulk of
The capital planning and management framework is                 Bank Muamalats assets. It covers all financing exposures,
also used to ensure that adequate capital buffer is held         including guarantees and irrevocable undrawn facilities,
under normal and projected adverse conditions. Hence,            and financial assets, such as investment securities held in
the annual capital plan addresses any capital issuance           Bank Muamalats banking book. To a lesser degree, Bank
requirements, capital instrument composition and                 Muamalat is also exposed to other forms of credit risk, such
maturity profile, and capital crisis contingency planning.       as those arising from settlement balances with market
                                                                 counterparties.
Internal Capital Assessment Adequacy Process
(ICAAP)                                                          To manage credit risk, Bank Muamalat has put in place an
                                                                 established and comprehensive framework comprising of
The capital management framework documents the                   policies, processes, measurement methodologies, and an
key capital management policies, principles, processes           oversight structure. Credit underwriting and management
and responsibilities that are to be applied in capital           is governed by a set of credit-related policies, namely
planning and management as well as for capital adequacy          the Credit Risk Policy (CRP) and Guidelines to Credit Risk
assessment as required under the Internal Capital                Policies (GCRP), and related operating procedures. They
Adequacy Assessment Process (ICAAP).                             outline Bank Muamalats policies on credit risk such as
                                                                 financing underwriting standards, pricing policy, risk
Capital planning and management is integrated with risk          rating, approving authority limits, prudential limits, risk
management where the comprehensive risk assessment               mitigation, review process, rehabilitation and restructuring,
conducted on all risk areas is used in the capital adequacy      and provisioning for impaired financing. The policies are
assessment to study its impact on Bank Muamalats                reviewed and updated regularly to ensure its continued
capital standing. The risk and capital assessment entails        relevance and effectiveness.
the identification of material risks inherent in business
activities and the effectiveness of controls put in place to     The credit risk management approach involves the
mitigate and manage these risks.                                 measurement, mitigation and management of credit
                                                                 risk exposures at every stage of the credit process. At
In the ICAAP, which is conducted in conjunction with the         credit origination, the business units are guided by the
strategic and business planning process, Bank Muamalat           underwriting standards, credit rating models and the
determines the level of capital to be allocated for business     pricing policy. Credit underwriting proposals are then
growth, in line with the targeted profit and Risk Adjusted       subjected to independent evaluation and risk assessment
Return on Capital (RAROC), and the required capital              prior to approval. At the approval stage, the approving
buffers. Additionally, internal capital targets are set in the   authority levels and limits are clearly defined to ensure that
annual capital plan and used as an ongoing monitoring            credit decision making are undertaken under a prudent
and management mechanism to ensure capital levels are            and proper governance structure. These authority limits
maintained at the approved levels                                are approved by the Board and are subject to periodic
                                                                 review to ensure its effectiveness and compliance.
Bank Muamalat monitors and manages the credit                 The above market risk and ALM management process is
exposures based on concentration and portfolio segments       governed by the Market Risk & ALM Policies and Guidelines
to ensure that they are kept within the approved risk         (MRAPG) and Trading Book Policy Statement (TBPS).
appetite and risk tolerance levels. Monthly exposure review
and analytical reports are produced and tabled to the risk    RATE OF RETURN RISK
management committees for deliberation. The reports
also provide the basis for formulation of risk management     Rate of return risk refers to the variability of Bank Muamalat
strategies and policies.                                      assets and liabilities resulting from the volatility of the
                                                              market benchmark rates, both in the trading and banking
Exposures to delinquent and problematic financing are         books. Such changes can adversely affect both Bank
managed by an independent department that focuses and         Muamalats earnings and its economic value.
specialises on restructuring and recovery activities. A set
of early warning triggers are used to identify potentially    To assess and manage the exposure, Bank Muamalat uses
distressed financing accounts and to facilitate initiation    various measurement tools and analyses to study the
of remedial actions. The exposure is actively monitored to    impact of market rate changes on earnings and balance
ensure delinquency is kept within tolerable limits.           sheet profile. Among these are the earnings at risk (EaR),
                                                              economic value of equity (EVE) and re-pricing gap
MARKET RISK & ASSET-LIABILITY MANAGEMENT                      analysis. In addition, the value at risk (VaR) approach is used
                                                              to estimate the maximum potential loss of the investment
Market risk is the risk of losses resulting from movements    portfolio over a specified time.
in market rates, foreign exchange rates, and equity
and commodity prices, which adversely impact Bank             Risk tolerance limits are then built along these sensitivity
Muamalats earnings and capital positions.                    measurements to manage and mitigate the related risk
                                                              exposures. Bank Muamalat actively manages the following
Exposure to market risk arises from trading and non-          rate of return risks:
trading activities. Bank Muamalats risk management
framework addresses both market risk and asset-liability       Risks              Definition
management, where market risk exposures are managed
                                                               Re-pricing Risk    Timing differences in maturity and re-
and controlled in order to optimise return on risk while
                                                                                  pricing of Banks assets and liabilities
maintaining a market profile consistent with Bank
Muamalats strategic plan.                                     Yield Curve Risk   Unanticipated yield curve shifts that has
                                                                                  adverse impact on Banks income and
                                                                                  economic values
The framework covers key risk management practices such
                                                               Basis Risk         Arises from imperfect correlation in the
as risk identification, measurement, mitigation, monitoring
                                                                                  adjustment of rates earned and paid on
and control and includes a formal governance and                                  different instruments with otherwise similar
oversight structure. An independent market risk control                           re-pricing characteristics
function is responsible for measuring risk exposures
                                                               Optionality/       The risk arising from options embedded
according to the established policies and guidelines and       Embedded           in Banks assets, liabilities and off-balance
reports to the ALCO Working Committee on a monthly             Option Risk        sheet portfolio
basis. Balance sheet and capital management issues and
strategies are discussed at the ALCO and later escalated      LIQUIDITY RISK
with recommended action plans to the ERMC, BRMC and
Board respectively.                                           Liquidity risk is the risk of Bank Muamalats failure to
                                                              provide adequate financial resources to fund increases
Statement
on Risk Management
in its assets or to meet payment obligations as they fall          OPERATIONAL RISK MANAGEMENT
due. This leads to an inability to support normal business
activity and meet liquidity regulatory requirements. It            Operational risk is defined as the risk of losses resulting
is imperative for Bank Muamalat to ensure that there is            from inadequate or failed internal processes, people, and
sufficient availability of cash and liquid assets to meet          systems, and/or from various external events. The objective
these short-term and long-term obligations and this is             of Operational Risk Management (ORM) is to effectively
conducted through an active and effective management               manage risks to minimise possible financial losses arising
of its balance sheet.                                              from these operational lapses.
For ongoing management and monitoring of the liquidity             Bank Muamalat has established an Incident Management
and funding positions, Bank Muamalat establishes risk              Data Collection (IMDC) and reporting system where all
tolerances and limits within applicable risk appetite              material loss incidents, potential loss or near miss incidents
metrics, monthly reporting of its asset, liability and liquidity   are immediately reported and recorded. The IMDC report
positions and a comprehensive liquidity crisis contingency         is designed as a tool to report and capture information
plan and action framework.                                         on all incidents that may give rise to operational losses,
                                                                   including Shariah and regulatory non-compliances.
The primary focus of Bank Muamalats liquidity
management is to assess all cash inflows against outflows          Bank Muamalat has also instituted the Risk and Control
to identify the potential for any net shortfall going forward.     Self Assessment (RCSA) process which is a forward looking
This includes funding requirements for off-balance sheet           approach in assessing operational risk to identify and close
commitments.                                                       any control gaps prevalent in the business processes. In
                                                                   addition, Key Risk Indicators (KRI) are built into the business
Bank Muamalat pays particular attention to its ability             processes to facilitate the monitoring and tracking of
to cover any shortfall in liquidity for up to 1-month time         operational risk exposures over time.
period followed by a medium-term assessment of liquidity
of up to one year. The measurement and limits used to              The management of operational risks is targeted at
monitor and manage the liquidity risk are as prescribed            preventing risk events and damages (by in-process and
under the BNMs liquidity framework, namely the New                managerial controls), handling critical situations (via
Liquidity Framework (NLF), Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR)          contingency plans and business continuity management
and Net Stable Funding Ratio (NSFR). To mitigate the risk,         (BCM)) and mitigating potential losses (collaterals). The
Bank Muamalat employs a funding diversification strategy           applied risk management system and controls are in
and establishes a liquidity contingency plan.                      line with Bank Muamalats level of operational risks and
                                                                   internal standard operating procedures. By establishing
To ensure its readiness in dealing with a liquidity crisis, Bank   and operating a system of control procedures that
Muamalat has set up a pre-crisis management framework              commensurate with its risks, Bank Muamalat limits its
with a build-in and structured crisis response mechanism,          exposures to an acceptable level in accordance with its risk
which allows for quick identification of potential liquidity       appetite.
crisis before it occurs. The process involves continuous
monitoring of various indicators which acts as early-              In relation to operational risk management, the key risk
warning signals of impending crisis situations of different        organs which plays a critical role in the overall integrated
severity levels.                                                   risk management framework are the Operational Risk
                                                                   Management unit, Operational Risk Management
                                                                   Committee (ORMC), Internal Audit, Compliance and the
                                                                   business lines.
Statement
on Compliance
Bank Muamalat recognises that regulatory compliance           		 integral par t of Bank Muamalat s business
risk and obligations have to be managed proactively and       		activities.
effectively, with the culture of compliance embedded
across all business activities of Bank Muamalat.              The Board and management of Bank Muamalat further
                                                              pledges to ensure the implementation of the following
As with any other financial services provider, Bank           drivers of effective compliance culture:
Muamalat is exposed to the risk of impairment to its
business model, reputation and financial condition from       Leadership principle
failure to comply with laws and regulations, internal         	 	    Full commitment by all staff in ensuring
policies and procedures, as well as the expectations of       		      compliance risk and requirement are effectively
stakeholders. This encompasses the compliance risk faced      		      administered; and
by Bank Muamalat. In operating its business as a compliant    	 	    Sufficient provision and appropriate resources
financial services provider, Bank Muamalat upholds the        		      for the compliance programme.
adoption and practice of good corporate governance.
These principles serve as an important guide for Bank         Culture principle
Muamalat as it continuously evolves to meet the growing       	 	    Compliance culture is consciously promoted
demands of compliance best practices.                         		      bank-wide; and
                                                              	 	    All staff are continuously engaged to ensure
Compliance is the collective responsibility of the            		      they inculcate compliance awareness and
respective Boards, Senior Management and each and             		      discharge their duties effectively to ensure their
every employee of Bank Muamalat. Furthermore, there is        		      respective units comply with regulatory and
a dedicated officer and compliance team in each of the        		      internal requirements.
applicable entity. Hence, everyone concerned is expected
to promote self-regulation and be accountable for his or      Training and Communication Principle
her own activities while maintaining ethical principles and   	 	    Compliance knowledge and awareness are
behavior in everything that he or she does.                   		      constantly reinforced and communicated; and
                                                              	 	    Compliance competency and training needs are
The Board, CEO and senior Management have adopted the         		      recognised and addressed.
Compliance Framework and Charter built on the following
principles:                                                   Compliance Risk Identification & Assessment
                                                              Principle
	 	 Commitment to comply with the relevant legal             	 	    Red flags and compliance risks are proactively
		 and regulatory requirements;                               		      identified; and
                                                              	 	    Early warning system i.e self auditing is in place
	 	       Dedicated compliance function coordinates          		      to identify compliance requirements.
		         the management of Bank Muamalats compliance
		         risk; implement a compliance programme             Compliance      Management           and      Mitigation
		         across Bank Muamalat to ensure effective           Principle
		         operations of Compliance Framework; and            	 	    Effective policies, processes and internal controls
                                                              		      are in place to mitigate non-compliance risk; and
	 	 Embedding the Compliance Framework within                	 	    Policies and procedures are communicated to
		 the operations of Bank Muamalat, thus making               		      ensure that they are comprehended.
		 regulatory compliance risk management an
Code of Conduct
& Ethical Principles
Bank Muamalat is committed to maintaining the highest standards of conduct at the workplace and in business engagements.
Our business must be conducted fairly, professionally, impartially and in full compliance of Shariah principles.
The Code and Ethic/Conduct reflects and reinforces Bank Muamalats values as an Islamic Bank and it is designed to assist the
stakeholders in understanding the ethical principles:
	 	 Uphold good reputation and public confidence by providing 100% Shariah Compliant products and services as a
		 preferred Islamic financial service provider;
	 	 Treat all stakeholders which includes the employees, business partners, customers and communities with full
		 respect and dignity and appreciate the diversity of our workforce;
	 	 Adhere to all rules and regulation including Statutory Regulatory Requirements, Shariah Principles as well as Bank
		 Muamalats internal policy and guidelines;
	 	       Protects all customers information from improper disclosure, abuse or loss. However, the customer information
		         may be made available to third parties with the written consent of the respective customer or when disclosure
		         is authorised by Governmental or judicial bodies or agencies or our regulators, but Bank Muamalat will only do so
		         under proper authority;
	 	 Work in a professional manner for the benefit of customers during the relationship, whereby Bank Muamalat is
		 responsible for the protection of the financial interests of the customer; and
	 	 Do the right thing at all times without compromise and as a preferred Islamic financing provider, Bank Muamalat is
		 very clear, truthful and accurate in what we say and do.
As a custodian of public fund, Bank Muamalat is committed to protect and monitor consumer deposits/savings and other
similar financial assets through the development of control systems with high level of efficiency and effectiveness to reduce
fraud, embezzlement or misuse. In view of that, Bank Muamalat has invested in a more efficient core banking system to
replace the existing platform where the bank-wide migration has been launched in the middle of June 2014.