Research Programme to Focus on Asia Islamic Finance Markets
East and Partners Asia (Singapore) and Kuala Lumpur-based financial media group REDmoney are launching what they say is the first ever demand-side research programme, regularly monitoring and forecasting the Shariah-compliant business banking markets of Malaysia and Indonesia.
The partners add that with the Malaysian market alone estimated at US$130bn and representing around one fifth of total banking assets in the country, growth has been phenomenal. Bank Negara, Malaysia’s central bank has said it expects this figure to grow to 40% of total market balances and is attracting an ever accelerating number of players, both specialist Islamic financial services providers and the rapidly growing Shariah compliant subsidiaries of conventional commercial banking groups.
“This explosion in demand has seen many players racing to keep up, including even the Japanese banks, and respond to what is now a major component of the region’s banking landscape,” they comment.
The partnership between East and REDmoney is designed to address what they see as a dearth of intelligence and quantitative analysis on demand for such solutions in the business banking markets. East’s established demand-side research methodologies and capability will combine with REDmoney’s role in reporting on and delivering highly regarded industry news and events, to produce “a world class partnership in delivering high value market analysis and insight for client banks.”
The first results from what will be a biannual service will be released to clients and the markets this September.