Shariah governance practices at Islamic fund management companies

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the Shariah governance practices of Islamic fund management companies (IFMCs) in Malaysia, with the principal goal of reviewing the need for a comprehensive Shariah governance framework for the Islamic fund management industry. Design/methodology/approach The study was conducted using a qualitative approach via 14 semi-structured interviews with three companies (i.e. Company A, Company B and Company C) involving face-to-face interviews, telephone interviews and emails. Data from the interviews were recorded and later analysed using content analysis. Findings The study finds that Shariah governance processes among the IFMC examined are well-managed; and the current regulations issued by the regulators are sufficient to ensure the Shariah compliance of Islamic fund management industry. In spite of the absence of a comprehensive Shariah governance framework for the industry, most Shariah functions (i.e. Shariah risk management, Shariah review and Shariah audit) are performed by the parent company, except for Shariah research. Nevertheless, Shariah research is not an important function in Islamic fund management because the investment instruments are generally selected from a predetermined list of Shariah-compliant investment options. Practical implications The study offers an overview of Shariah governance practices in the Islamic fund management industry to policymakers and practitioners for the future development of Shariah governance practices among IFMC. Originality/value This is the first paper to study Shariah governance practices in the Islamic fund management industry in Malaysia.