Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, November 11, 2025 — The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the Government of Malaysia have officially launched the development of a new strategic Country Engagement Framework (CEF), marking a significant milestone in their long-standing partnership. The CEF kick-off meeting was successfully hosted by the Ministry of Finance (MOF) Malaysia at its headquarters in Putrajaya on November 10, 2025.

The strategic framework aims to guide and strengthen IsDB’s engagement with Malaysia, ensuring the Bank’s interventions are closely aligned with the country’s socio-economic priorities and the Bank’s Strategic Framework 2026-2036. The objectives are to enhance sustainable economic growth across key priority sectors in Malaysia and also center Malaysia as a key developmental partner for other IsDB MCs to enhance South-South cooperation.

The meeting was chaired by Honourable Datuk Johan Mahmood Merican, Secretary General of the Treasury, Ministry of Finance, and IsDB Executive Director. It witnessed high-level participation from more than 13 Malaysian ministries and government agencies, alongside more than 30 representatives from the IsDB Group, led by Mr. Samer Elesawi, Head of the IsDB Center of Excellence in Kuala Lumpur (KLCoE).  Participants joined both virtually and in person.

Discussions featured presentations from the Ministry of Economy on Malaysia's national development priorities, the Country Strategy and Engagement Division of the IsDB, outlining the process flow of the CEF exercise, the various IsDB Group entities, including IsDB-I, ICIEC, ITFC, ICD, GPP Directorate, and the KLCoE. The presentations outlined potential areas of collaboration and proposed engagement modalities.

The CEF exercise, jointly led by the Country Strategy & Management Division  and the Center of Excellence in Kuala Lumpur is expected to be completed in the first half of 2026, with the formal launch planned  during the IsDB Group Annual Meeting in June 2026. This collaborative effort reflects the shared commitment of IsDB Group and Malaysia to advancing impactful, sustainable , and knowledge driven development for the benefit of Malaysia and other IsDB Member Countries.