KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 11 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was today conferred the Global Islamic Finance Leadership Award 2025, where he urged the industry to go beyond profit metrics and serve as a moral compass in turbulent times.
The award, regarded as one of the most prestigious honours in the field, recognised Anwar‘s decades-long contribution to Islamic finance – from his role in launching Malaysia’s pioneering Islamic banking initiatives in the 1980s to his current push for innovation, inclusivity and sustainability.
Receiving the accolade, Anwar struck a reflective tone, crediting the “activists, thinkers, regulators and institutions” who laid the foundations of Islamic finance in Malaysia.
He said his recognition was a collective one, honouring those who fought scepticism years ago to build an industry now worth trillions globally.
“Islamic finance must never be seen merely as Shariah-compliant paperwork,” Anwar said.
“Its true ethos is fairness, risk-sharing, compassion and social justice. If it fails to transform lives and address inequality, poverty and marginalisation, then it is nothing more than a fringe effort.”
Anwar called on the sector to embrace green sukuk for sustainable infrastructure, digital platforms to widen financial inclusion, and social finance tools such as waqf and zakat to uplift communities.
“Our success will not be measured by the size of assets alone, but by the lives transformed and the futures secured,” he said.
He also linked ethical finance to principled foreign policy, voicing strong opposition to “Israeli aggression and violations of international law.”
“We must keep our house in order, rid our societies of corruption and gross injustice, and prepare our economies to be resilient and just,” he added.
Anwar’s recognition places him among 14 heads of state and government honoured by the Global Islamic Finance Awards in its 15-year history, alongside Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
The award committee praised Anwar’s leadership as a beacon of principled governance and transparency, crediting his role in positioning Malaysia as a global hub for Islamic finance and championing the industry as a tool for sustainable development.
Closing his speech, Anwar recalled Malaysia’s early struggles to establish Islamic banking in 1983, when critics mocked it as a “return to the age of the camels.”
Today, he said, the sector has gained acceptance and participation from Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
“It shows that we can offer a more just, inclusive, sustainable alternative through vibrant, ethical Islamic instruments,” Anwar said.
“Let us ensure it remains a beacon of justice, dignity and hope for all humanity,” he added.
