Islamic Interbank Money Market Instruments

Introduction:
The Islamic money market is integral to the functioning of the Islamic banking system,
firstly, in providing the Islamic financial institutions with the facility for funding and
adjusting portfolios over the short-term, and secondly, serving as a channel for the
transmission of monetary policy. Financial instruments and interbank investment would
allow surplus banks to channel funds to deficit banks, thereby maintaining the funding and
liquidity mechanism necessary to promote stability in the system.
The Islamic Inter bank Money Market (IIMM) was introduced on January 3, 1994 as a short-
term intermediary to provide a ready source of short-term investment outlets based on
Syariah principle. Through the IIMM, the Islamic banks and banks participating in the
Islamic Banking Scheme (IBS) would be able to match the funding requirements effectively
and efficiently. Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) issued the Guidelines on the IIMM on
December 18, 1993 to facilitate proper implementation of the IIMM.

Types of Instruments in Islamic Interbank Money Market:

i) Mudarabah Interbank Investment (MII)

ii) Wadiah Acceptance

iii) Government Investment Issue (GII)

iv) Bank Negara Monetary Notes

v) Sell & Buy Back Agreement (SBBA)

vi) Cagamas Mudharabah Bonds (SMC)

vii) When Issue (WI)

viii) Islamic Accepted Bills (IAB)

ix) Islamic Negotiable Instruments (INT)

x) Islamic Private Debt Securities

xi) Ar Rahnu Agreement-I (RA-i)

xii) Sukuk BNM Ijarah (SBNMI)

Mudarabah Interbank Investment (MII):

MII refers to a mechanism whereby a deficit Islamic banking institution (investee bank) can
obtain investment from a surplus Islamic banking institution (investor bank) based on
Mudharabah (profit sharing). The period of investment is from overnight to 12 months, while
the rate of return is based on the rate of gross profit before distribution for investment of 1-
year of the investee bank. The profit-sharing ratio is negotiable among both parties. The
investor bank at the time of negotiation would not know what the return would be, as the
actual return will be crystallised towards the end of the investment period. The principal
invested shall be repaid at the end of the period, together with a share of the profit arising
from the used of the fund by the investee bank.

Wadiah Acceptance:

Wadiah Acceptance, is a transaction between BNM and the Islamic banking institutions. It
refers to a mechanism whereby the Islamic banking institutions placed their surplus fund with
BNM based on the concept of Al- Wadiah. Under this concept, the acceptor of funds is
viewed as the custodian for the funds and there is no obligation on the part of the custodian to
pay any return on the account. However, if there is any dividend paid by the custodian, is
perceived as 'hibah' (gift). The Wadiah Acceptance facilitates BNM's liquidity management
operation as it gives flexibility for BNM to declare dividend without having to invest the
funds received.

Under the liquidity management operation, BNM uses the Wadiah Acceptance to absorb
excess liquidity from the IIMM by accepting overnight money or fixed tenure wadiah.

Government Investment Issue (GII):

When the first Islamic bank in Malaysia began operations in 1983, the bank cannot among
other things, purchase or trade in Malaysian Government Securities (MGS), Malaysian
Treasury Bills (MTB) or other interest-bearing instruments. However, there was a serious
need for the Islamic bank to hold such liquid papers to meet the statutory liquidity
requirements as well as to park its idle fund. To satisfy both requirements, the Malaysian
Parliament passed the Government Investment Act in 1983 to enable the Government of
Malaysia to issue non-interest bearing certificate known as Government Investment
Certificates (GIC) {now replaced with Government Investment Issues (GII)}. The GII was
introduced in July 1983 under the concept of Qard al- Hasan.

The concept of Qard al- Hasan does not satisfy the GII as tradable instruments in the
secondary market. To address this shortfall, BNM opens a window to facilitate the players to
sell and purchase the papers with the central bank. The price sold or purchase by the players
is determined by BNM, which maintains a system to record any movement in the GII.

On 15 June 2001, the Government of Malaysia with the advice by Bank Negara Malaysia,
issued a 3 -year GII of RM2.0 billion under a new concept of of Bai Al-Inah. The move
therefore had added depth to the IIMM as the GII is now tradable in the secondary market via
the concept of Bay ad- Dayn (debt trading).
On 16 March 2005, the Government of Malaysia with the advice by Bank Negara Malaysia,
issued first Profit-Based GII 5 -year tenure of RM2 billion. It is coupon bearing paper which
the Government pay half yearly profit to the investors.

On 17 June 2005 the Government has ammended the Government Funding Act 1983
(previously known as the Government Investment Act 1983) to increase the issuance size
limit of GII from RM 15 billion to RM 30 billion. As at end of 2005, the outstanding amount
of the GII issued is RM10.1 billion.

Bank Negara Monetary Notes:

BNMN-i are Islamic securities issued by Bank Negara Malaysia replacing the existing Bank
Negara Negotiable Notes (BNNN) for purposes of managing liquidity in the Islamic financial
market. The instruments will be issued using Islamic principles which are deemed acceptable
to Shariah requirement. The maturity of these issuances has also been lengthened from one
year to three years. New issuances of BNMN-i may be issued either on a discounted or a
coupon-bearing basis depending on investors' demand. Discount-based BNMN-i will be
traded using the same market convention as the existing BNNN and Malaysian Islamic
Treasury Bills (MITB) while the profit-based BNMN-i will adopt the market convention of
Government Investment Issues (GII).

Sell & Buy Back Agreement (SBBA):

Sell and Buy Back Agreement (SBBA) is an Islamic money market transaction entered by
two parties in which an SBBA seller (seller) sells assets to an SBBA buyer (Buyer) at an
agreed price, and subsequently, both parties entered into a separate agreement in which the
buyer promises to sell back the said asset to the seller at an agreed price.

Cagamas Mudharabah Bonds (SMC):

Cagamas Mudharabah Bond was introduced on 1 March 1994 by Cagamas Berhad to finance
the purchase of Islamic housing debts from financial institutions that provides Islamic house
financing to the public. The SMC Mudharabah Bond is structured using the concept of
Mudharabah where the bondholders and Cagamas will share the profits according to the
agreed profit-sharing ratios.

When Issue (WI):

When Issue is a transaction of sale and purchase of debt securities before the securities is
being issued. The National Shariah Advisory Council viewed that the WI transaction is
allowed based on the permissibility to promise for sale and purchase transactions.

Islamic Accepted Bills (IAB):

Islamic Accepted Bill also known as Interest-Free Accepted Bill (IAB), was introduced in
1991. The objectives of introducing IAB is to encourage and promote both domestic and
foreign trade, by providing Malaysian traders with an attractive Islamic financing product.
The IAB is formulated on the Islamic principles of Al-Murabahah (deferred lump-sum sale or
cost-plus) and Bai ad-Dayn (debt-trading).

Al-Murabahah refers to the selling of merchandise at a price based on cost-plus profit margin
agreed to by both parties. Bai Al-Dayn refers to the sale of a debt arising from a trade
transaction in the form of a deferred payment sale. There are two types of financing under the
IAB facility, namely: -

a) Imports and local purchases:

The financing would be financed under al-Murabahah working capital financing

mechanism. Under this concept, the commercial bank appoints the customer as the
purchasing agent for the bank. The customer then purchases the required goods from
the seller on behalf of the bank, which would then pay the seller and resell the goods
to the customer at a price, inclusive of a profit margin. The customer is allowed a
deferred payment term of up to 200 days.

The sale of goods by the bank to the customer on deferred payment term constitutes
the creation of debt.

b) Exports and local sales:

The bills created shall be traded under the concept of Bai al-Dayn. An exporter who
had been approved for IAB facility will prepare the export documentation as required
under the sale contract or letter of credit. The export documents, shall be sent to the
importer's bank. The exporter shall draw on the commercial bank a new bill of
exchange as a substitution bill and this will be the IAB. 

Islamic Negotiable Instruments (INT):

a) Islamic Negotiable Instruments of Deposit (INID):

The applicable concept is Al-Mudharabah. It refers to a sum of money deposited with

the Islamic banking institutions and repayable to the bearer on a specified future date
at the nominal value of INID plus declared dividend.

b) Negotiable Islamic Debt Certificate (NIDC):

The transaction involves the sale of banking institution's assets to the customer at an
agreed price on cash basis. Subsequently the assets is purchased back from the
customer at principal value plus profit and to be settled at an agreed future date.

Islamic Private Debt Securities:

Islamic Private Debt Securities (IPDS) has been introduced in Malaysia since 1990. At the
moment, the IPDS which are outstanding in the market were issued based on the Shariah
compliant concept of Bai Bithaman Ajil, Murabahah and al Mudharabah.
Ar Rahnu Agreement-I (RA-i):

Under RA-I, the Lender will provide a loan to the borrower based on the concept of Qard al-
Hasan. The borrower will pledge its securities as collateral for the loan granted. However, in
the event where the borrower fails to repay the loan on maturity date, the lender has the right
to sell the pledged securities and use the proceeds from the sale of the securities to settle the
loan. If there is surplus money, the lender will return the balance to the borrower.

BNM will use RA-I as a liquidity management tool for its money market operations. Return
from the RA-I will be in the form of gift (hibah) and is determined based on the average inter
bank money market rates.

Sukuk BNM Ijarah (SBNMI):

This sukuk based on the Al-Ijarah or ‘sale and lease back’ concept, a structure that is widely
used in the Middle East. A special purpose vehicle, BNM Sukuk Berhad has been established
to issue the sukuk Ijarah. The proceeds from the issuance will be used to purchase Bank
Negara Malaysia’s assets. The assets will then be leased to Bank Negara Malaysia for rental
payment consideration, which is distributed to investors as a return on a semi-annual basis.
Upon maturity of the sukuk Ijarah, which will coincide with end of the lease tenure, BNM
Sukuk Berhad will then sell the assets back to Bank Negara Malaysia at a predetermined
price.