Chief Justice Of Malaysia To Deliver Keynote – Survey findings on Legal and Shariah Issues in Islamic finance to be discussed at IFSB Seminar

Kuala Lumpur, December 21, 2006 – Chief Justice of Malaysia, Tun Dato’ Seri Ahmad Fairuz Dato’ Sheikh Abdul Halim, will deliver a Keynote Address to the delegates of the Seminar on Legal and Shari’ah Issues in Islamic Finance on 28 th March 2007. He will be joined by Professor William Blair QC of Gray’s Inn and London School of Economics, UK and Dr. Zeti Akhtar Aziz, Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia and Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) Council Chairperson for 2007. The IFSB is organising the Seminar with the support of the Bar Council of Malaysia.

The Seminar aims to discuss findings of five Surveys which the IFSB has commissioned five international firms to carry out. The Surveys are:

• Effectiveness of the Legal Framework for the Islamic Financial Services
• Comparative Study on Insolvency Laws in Islamic Finance
• Comparative Study on Securities Laws in Islamic Finance
• Comparative Study on Trust Laws in Islamic Finance
• Survey on Shari’ah Board Across Jurisdictions

Chairpersons, speakers and discussants from various fields of the industry will be sharing their knowledge and expertise in the Seminar. They are:

1. Thomas Baxter
   General Counsel & Executive Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of New York
2. Nagavalli Annamalai
   Lead Counsel, Finance Private Sector and Infrastructure Development, The World Bank
3. Stefan M Gannon
   General Counsel, Hong Kong Monetary Agency
4. Mahesh Uttamchandani
   Senior Counsel, Insolvency & Creditor Rights, The World Bank
5. Charles Proctor
   Partner, Banking & Financial Services, Bird & Bird, USA
6. Professor Barry A.K Rider
   Development Studies Committee, University of Cambridge
7. Professor Simon Archer
   University of Surrey, UK
8. Sheikh Yusuf Talal DeLorenzo
   Shari’ah Supervisor, Yasaar Ltd, London
9. Andrew Campbell
   Director, School of Law, University of Leeds, UK
10. Michael J.T. McMillen
    Partner, Dechert LLP, New York, USA
11. Dato’ Dr Nik Norzrul Thani
    Partner, Zaid Ibrahim & Co, Malaysia
12. Gopal Sundaram
    Director, Assistant Governor, Bank Negara Malaysia
13. Hamid Yunis
    Partner, Taylor Wessing, UK
14. Dr. Mohd Daud Bakar
    President & CEO, International Institute of Islamic Finance Education, Malaysia
15. Dr. Syed Musa Alhabshi
    Principal Consultant, Amanie Business Solutions Sdn. Bhd.

Insights gained from these results and discussions aims to shed light on some of the challenges and issues of concern faced by the legal and financial practitioners involved in Islamic finance. The Seminar will especially benefit those firms, companies and institutions operating across jurisdictions.

For more information on the seminar, visit www.ifsb.org/legal2007