The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) has launched the third cohort of its Shariah Mentorship Programme (SMP).

This is part of ongoing efforts to develop a sustainable pipeline of Shariah professionals for the Islamic capital market.

The launch coincided with a graduation ceremony for 15 participants from the programme’s second cohort.

Introduced in 2023 and funded by the Capital Market Development Fund (CMDF), the initiative is delivered by ISRA Consulting, a subsidiary of INCEIF University.

Structured over eight months, the programme includes three months of classroom learning followed by five months of industry placement.

Participants gain practical experience in Shariah advisory roles within the Islamic finance sector, under the guidance of mentors from the SC’s Shariah Advisory Council.

So far, 30 participants have completed the programme, with over 70% currently employed in Islamic finance institutions.

Many are expected to qualify as registered Shariah advisers with the SC within the next five years.

SC Chairman Dato’ Mohammad Faiz Azmi said,

“Through a structured approach, SMP also aims to support the broader objectives of Maqasid al-Shariah by fostering values of integrity, ethics and sound judgement. These are essential for Shariah advisory roles in order to serve the greater good of the market and society.

SC is also looking at the whole ecosystem beyond Shariah professionals to developing the next generation of Shariah scholars and the scope of their work, in order to solidify SC’s leadership in this area.”

Featured image credit: Edited from Freepik