Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 11 April 2025 - Hosted by the Ministry of Finance Malaysia and Bank Negara Malaysia, the annual ASEAN Finance Ministers' and Central Bank Governors' Meeting (AFMGM) was held between 7th and 10th April 2025, bringing together key financial leaders from across the ASEAN region to further advance  financial cooperation while addressing global and regional economic challenges.

Representing IsDB, Mr. Samer Elesawi, Head of KLCoE, participated in ‘ASEAN Investors Roundtable: Unlocking Opportunities to Advance ASEAN Climate Initiatives.’ The Roundtable discussed how the public and private sectors can collaborate to create an enabling and thriving environment for climate finance as well as to structure fit-for-purpose financial solutions effectively. The session featured key climate investment opportunities that are significant for the ASEAN region. 

In the discussion chaired by H.E. Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour, the Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia, Mr. Samer highlighted IsDB’s modalities for long-term infrastructure financing within the IsDB Member Countries. Leveraging its AAA rating and deep sectoral expertise, IsDB utilizes innovative Islamic finance structures, including Green Sukuk, alongside traditional mechanisms to de-risk investments and finance member country projects. He stressed IsDB’s commitment to energy transition and climate action, having already achieved its target of dedicating 35% of annual financing to climate initiatives.

He also shared examples from recent member country financing projects that may be relevant for ASEAN, such as for financing the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) and Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) projects. Furthermore, he detailed specific de-risking tools available through its group entities, notably the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC). Finally, he reiterated the potential of instruments like Green Sukuk and Waqf to align with diverse investor risk appetites and called for robust collaboration.

The following day, KLCoE also participated in a session titled ‘High-Level Dialogue on Supply Chain Resilience: Insights into Greening Value Chain.’ This session showcased key insights from Malaysia’s Greening Value Chain (GVC) Programme. The GVC Programme supports Malaysian businesses in transitioning towards greener and sustainable practices through technical training, carbon measurement tools, on-site diagnostics, and transition financing.

During the dialogue, the IsDB KLCoE representative underscored several challenges impacting Greening Value Chain programs, along with innovative solutions introduced through the new Greening Halal Businesses initiative (GHB). A key concern highlighted was the low participation rates among SMEs, often attributed to perceived costs and complexities associated with sustainable practices. In response, GHB is launching tailored Greening Business Plans specifically designed for halal SMEs, effectively demonstrating the business viability of adopting sustainable practices.

In conjunction with the event, KLCoE also took part in the Malaysia Open House Exhibition at ASEAN 2025. The IsDB exhibition booth was honored by the visits of H.E. Amir Hamzah Azizan, Malaysia's Second Minister of Finance; H.E. Dr. Zaliha Mustafa, Minister of Federal Territories; and H.E. Lim Hui Ying, Deputy Minister of Finance. 

ASEAN is a regional grouping of 10 countries in Southeast Asia "that aims to promote economic and security cooperation among its members. 3 Members of ASEAN are also IsDB Member countries, namely Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia.