Strengthening bilateral and regional cooperation in the development of Islamic Social Finance was a key focus of the Bilateral and Regional Islamic Social Finance for Halal Community Engagement held at Menara Syariah on December 16. This event was a collaboration between the Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance (IIiBF) of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Menara Syariah, the Indonesian Association of Islamic Economists (IAEI), and the National Committee for Islamic Economics and Finance (KNEKS).
In his remarks, IAEI Secretary-General, Dr. Sutan Emir Hidayat, expressed his appreciation for the strategic forum. He emphasized that Indonesia and Malaysia share many social and cultural similarities, which are important assets for mutual learning and comparative studies in the development of the Islamic economy.
"Indonesia and Malaysia share relatively similar societal characteristics, social values, and Islamic traditions. These similarities present a significant opportunity to strengthen collaboration and mutual learning in building a stronger Islamic economic and financial ecosystem," said Sutan Emir.
Furthermore, he encouraged closer synergy between the two countries, not only at the academic level, but also in strengthening policies, research, and the implementation of Islamic Social Finance, which have a direct impact on society. He believes that cross-border cooperation is key to addressing global challenges and expanding the contribution of the Islamic economy to sustainable development.
As Secretary General, Sutan Emir also emphasized the IAEI's commitment to continuously promoting the development of Indonesia's Islamic economy to make it more advanced, inclusive, and competitive. He believes that collaboration with various strategic partners, including universities and regional institutions like IIUM Malaysia, is an important step in strengthening the human resource capacity and institutions of the national Islamic economy.
"We hope that a forum like this can be a catalyst for the birth of concrete joint initiatives, both in strengthening literacy, research, and the implementation of Islamic social finance, so that the Indonesian sharia economy can grow better and provide broad benefits to the community," he concluded.
This agenda brings together academics, practitioners, and stakeholders in the sharia economy from Indonesia and Malaysia to strengthen the role of Islamic social finance, such as zakat, infaq, sedekah, and waqf, in supporting the development of an inclusive and sustainable halal community. This activity is expected to serve as a starting point for strengthening bilateral and regional cooperation in the development of Islamic Social Finance and strengthening the role of the sharia economy in supporting the halal ecosystem in Southeast Asia.
