At GIFF 2025, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim highlights Malaysia’s RM20 billion green sukuk issuance and calls for scaling values-based finance worldwide.
BY PHUBIEYAS AHMAD
KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has urged the global financial community to embrace a purpose-driven approach to finance, one that uplifts lives and strengthens legacies, as he delivered the keynote address at the opening of the recent Global Islamic Finance Forum (GIFF) 2025 in Kuala Lumpur.
He said Malaysia’s leadership in Islamic finance is the result of decades of innovation, resilience, and foresight. “We pioneered the global sukuk market, and today we lead in green and sustainability-linked sukuk. We developed a strong takaful sector and embraced fintech and digital platforms to link tradition with modern technology,” Anwar told delegates.
Malaysia’s role, he added, has consistently positioned it as a trusted global hub offering investors not just stability and clarity, but also ethical foundations. “Around the world, there is growing demand for financial systems that deliver not only profits but also purpose,” he noted.
Green Finance at the Forefront
Underscoring Malaysia’s global leadership, Anwar pointed out that in 2024 the country issued over RM20 billion in Sustainable and Responsible Investment sukuk, a milestone that reflects its commitment to mobilising capital for green, social, and ethical impact.
Yet, he cautioned that the work is “far from done.” As the world moves into a new era, financial systems will increasingly be judged not just by the returns they generate, but by the lives they touch and the legacies they leave behind. “We have shown that Islamic finance can lead this shift; now we must scale it, deepen it, and export it,” he said.
Call for Alliances and Innovation
Anwar urged participants at GIFF 2025 to make the Forum a platform where new alliances are forged and innovation is harnessed for the common good. “Let us advance ethical and responsible businesses through cross-border partnerships, innovation, and shared prosperity. The next chapter is ours to write, and history will remember whether we chose to lead with courage, or to follow with caution,” he declared.
About GIFF
The Global Islamic Finance Forum (GIFF), held biennially in Kuala Lumpur, is one of the world’s foremost platforms for Islamic finance thought leadership. Organised by the Association of Islamic Banking and Financial Institutions Malaysia (AIBIM) with support from Bank Negara Malaysia and industry stakeholders, GIFF brings together policymakers, regulators, financial institutions, scholars, and investors to chart the course of the industry.
Since its inception in 2007, the Forum has been a catalyst for innovation, cross-border collaboration, and Malaysia’s positioning as a global hub for Islamic finance. This year’s edition is expected to generate new partnerships and strategies that will shape the next phase of Islamic finance growth worldwide.
- TNS NEWS