KULLIYYAH OF ECONOMIC AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES FINC 3303 RISK MANAGEMENT OF ISLAMIC FINANCIAL INSTITUTION SEMESTER 2 2023/2024 Dr. Nur Hasnida Abdul Rahman Date of Submission: 17th May 2024 Name Matric Number Muhammad Hasanul Hakim bin Kamaludin 2113887 Muhammad Haiqal Aiman Bin Mohd Zairi 2116619 Andrika Addin Bin Abd Hamid 2114221 Nurul Aina Najwa binti Rosli 2111006 Muhammad Aiman bin Radzuyan 2112069 Ali Karimi Bin Mohd Nasri 2110131 SECTION 1 : OVERVIEW OF LEMBAGA TABUNG HAJI 1.1 Brief Background of Tabung Haji Tabung Haji was established in 1963 under the Hajj Pilgrims Act, and serves as a vital Islamic financial institution in Malaysia. Nawi and Ismail (2011) elucidate its significance as an Islamic investment institution, emphasizing its role in facilitating savings for Malaysian Muslims to undertake the Hajj pilgrimage. The institution adheres strictly to Shariah principles, offering various savings schemes and investment opportunities that comply with Islamic law. Abdullah (2015) further explores the activities and performance of Tabung Haji within the Malaysian Islamic financial system. Through rigorous analysis, Abdullah highlights Tabung Haji's diverse investment portfolio, which includes real estate, equities, and Islamic bonds (sukuk), all managed in accordance with Islamic finance principles. Moreover, Tabung Haji's regulatory framework, overseen by Malaysia's Securities Commission and Ministry of Religious Affairs, ensures adherence to Shariah-compliant practices and proper governance. These findings underscore Tabung Haji's pivotal role in promoting Islamic finance and facilitating the Hajj pilgrimage for Malaysian Muslims while upholding ethical and Shariah-compliant financial standards. 1.2 Issues Faced by Tabung Haji and Its Risk Position That Led to the Restructuring Plan Tabung Haji faced several issues and challenges that necessitated a restructuring plan, including concerns about its risk position. These issues primarily revolved around financial mismanagement, unsustainable practices, and regulatory scrutiny. First, on the financial mismanagement, Tabung Haji encountered allegations of financial mismanagement, including discrepancies in its financial reporting and investments. These issues raised doubts about the transparency and integrity of the institution's operations. Next, unsustainable practices which the institution's investment practices came under scrutiny due to concerns about the sustainability of its investment portfolio. Tabung Haji was criticized for investing in non-performing assets and engaging in high-risk ventures that jeopardized the financial stability of the institution and the savings of its depositors. Last, the regulatory scrutiny referring to the regulatory authorities, including Malaysia's Securities Commission and Bank Negara Malaysia, initiated investigations into Tabung Haji's operations to address concerns about compliance with Islamic finance principles and regulatory standards. The scrutiny further intensified due to public pressure and calls for accountability. Therefore, Tabung Haji's risk position became a significant area of concern, with particular focus on the institution's exposure to high-risk investments and its ability to meet its financial obligations to depositors, especially in the event of market downturns or economic instability. In response to these challenges, Tabung Haji implemented a restructuring plan aimed at restoring financial stability, enhancing transparency, and strengthening governance practices to regain public trust and confidence in the institution. 1.3 Tabung Haji Restructuring Plan The Tabung Haji restructuring plan was initiated to address the financial challenges and restore the stability of the institution. The decision to restructure Tabung Haji likely involved various stakeholders, including government officials, regulatory authorities, and the management of Tabung Haji itself. Given the severity of the issues faced by Tabung Haji, the need for restructuring would have been recognized by multiple parties concerned about the institution's financial stability, regulatory compliance, and reputation. Here are some key components typically associated with the restructuring plan: a) Asset Rationalization: The restructuring plan involved reviewing and rationalizing Tabung Haji's investment portfolio. This process likely entailed identifying non-performing assets, divesting from high-risk ventures, and reallocating resources to more stable and profitable investments. b) Financial Recapitalization: To bolster its financial position, Tabung Haji may have undergone a recapitalization process. This could involve injecting additional capital into the institution to strengthen its balance sheet and ensure its ability to meet its financial obligations to depositors. c) Governance Reforms: The restructuring plan likely included governance reforms aimed at enhancing transparency, accountability, and risk management practices within Tabung Haji. This could involve restructuring the board of directors, implementing stricter internal controls, and enhancing regulatory oversight to prevent future financial mismanagement. d) Operational Efficiency: Efforts to improve operational efficiency may have been part of the restructuring plan. This could include streamlining processes, reducing administrative costs, and optimizing resource allocation to maximize returns on investments. e) Stakeholder Communication: Effective communication with stakeholders, including depositors, regulators, and the public, is crucial during the restructuring process. Tabung Haji likely engaged in transparent communication to reassure depositors, rebuild trust, and demonstrate its commitment to addressing the challenges it faced. Overall, the Tabung Haji restructuring plan aimed to address the institution's financial vulnerabilities, strengthen its governance framework, and restore confidence among stakeholders. SECTION 2 : RISKS FACED BY TABUNG HAJI IN 2019 & 2020 The restructuring of Tabung Haji in early 2019 onwards is factored by a plethora of issues. The issues faced by the infamous financial institution up till this day was an escalation of 2015’s phenomenon. The prominent issue at hand that causes liquidity problems for Tabung Haji is the bailing out of depositors at a worrisome amount and the former management's decision to dip the dividend to an alarming rate which has made Tabung Haji’s liquidity at risk both in terms of funding liquidity as well as market liquidity. It is as expected the decision to lower the profit distribution rate has caused current stakeholders and mainly depositors of Tabung Haji being shaken and driven to bail out from depositing in Tabung Haji seeing that it may not be a profitable investment in the coming years. The dawn of COVID-19 has also significantly impacted Tabung Haji in more ways than one. We will look at some of the risks faced by Tabung Haji in conjunction with these changes. 2.1 Risk faced by Tabung Haji in 2019 a) Liquidity risks Tabung Haji faced funding liquid risk due to potential losses arising from both inability to meet its obligations and inability to get proper funding within a time period, all the more at an effective cost. TH cash flows and financial condition have negative correlation with their current day-to-day operations which means that they couldn't successfully achieve a good cash flow without compromising their daily operations and vice-versa. Other systematic risks such as political situations, economic crisis, natural disasters and others are also factors contributing to funding issues faced by TH. Additionally, TH also faces market liquidity risk due to potentially being unable to convert illiquid assets into cash and also potentially being forced to sell assets at a lower price than the current market. Moreover, TH suffered from insufficient market depth which caused them being unable to properly execute their stocks, equities and investments which resulted in TH’s exposure towards market liquidity risk. b) Operational Risks In an operational standpoint, a portion of the deposits were used for investment purposes. Thus, in the event of depositors withdrawing, it will be a difficult task to actually fulfill withdrawal requests from depositors and at the same time to prepare the needed amount in time. The cost of Hajj for the pilgrims has also escalated steadily over the years whereby the spill cost borne by Tabung Haji will also be increased in tandem. The increasing costs would become a serious concern for Tabung Haji if not addressed appropriately as it would impair TH’s objective in financially aiding Hajj pilgrims. Despite factors such as public perceptions, internal politics and global economic conditions constantly becoming a challenge for Tabung Haji, 2019 was marked as a first step of success following the management's decision to restructure TH towards recovery. 2.2 Risk faced by Tabung Haji in 2020 a) Operational Risk In the year 2020, Tabung Haji was badly afflicted by COVID-19 altering their overall operations. Physical counters throughout all the branches are closed due to the Movement Control Order (MCO) which made customers unable to access Tabung Haji services. A shift to online platforms was due which was eventually made available via Tabung Haji’s THiJARI app which was arguably successful as it opened the door for customers to enjoy their services without needing to physically come up to Tabung haji’s counters. However, building up THiJARI in a short period of time does bring some potential risks such as exposure to breaches and attacks on Tabung Haji’s information systems. Much of 2020 was to realign the operations of Tabung Haji catering to the COVID-19 pandemic. b) Financial Risk Part of the risk management strategies Tabung Haji adopts is by measuring and controlling their risk tolerance level for their financials and investments strategies. Most prominent concern is tackling the systematic risks derived from broad market factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic that affected the market globally. Other factors also include local and foreign inflation, foreign exchanges, profit rates and other economic factors. Besides that, maintaining a high liquidity level is also part of the risk management objectives of Tabung Haji. Although TH was badly hit by the pandemic, TH managed to maintain their cash flows and profits despite the pandemic all due to the decision made by the government to postpone the year's Hajj season 1441H/2020M based on consultations with ministry of health, TH and National Council for religious Affairs. Having the opportunity to reevaluate Tabung Haji’s operations allow TH to fine tune their services and operations for the year and the years to come. c) Compliance Risk Possible sanctions, material financial loss, reputation of TH are at stake if TH does not follow the laws, regulations and code of conduct in its business operations. d) Strategic and tactical risk Business plan performance, business objectives, and TH business strategy to identify, assess, and manage risks in the organization to achieve its strategic objective. SECTION 3 : RISK MANAGEMENT OF TABUNG HAJI Liquidity management helps in making more accurate financial decision analysis. It helps in giving an idea of how we want to use the money for example in the financial institution, should we extend the investment, create new investment and help the lender to make a decision whether the loan request is approved or not. Then what happened to the Tabung Haji in 2017 had a big impact on their institution’s finances. In 2018, steps by steps of recovery were taken, until in 2019, they introduced three steps or strategies in managing liquidity. 3.1 Three measures taken by TH in strengthen its liquidity risk management a) Tabung Haji conducts the daily monitoring of deposit, withdrawal movements and matching it against the maturity of Tabung Haji investment products in managing the liquidity for the purpose of to get early warning indicators, net deposit/withdrawal position, investment maturity and market movements. The idea was designed based on historical and forward-looking patterns coupled with the matching of investment maturity and rollover since at the start of the year project depositors’ movement before and after profit distribution. b) Tabung Haji adequate stock of unencumbered High-Quality Liquid Assets to monitor cash placement, high-quality fixed income securities namely Sukuk issued and/or guaranteed by the Government of Malaysia and corporates rated-AA and better through Liquid Asset Ratio (LAR) monitoring. The effects of this alternative enable Tabung Haji to withstand any substantial and continuous withdrawal for a 30-day horizon. c) Mitigating the liquidity funding risk through Tabung Haji developed a Contingency Funding Plan (CFP). This structure established a strategy and action plan to manage Tabung Haji’s liquidity crisis when a large withdrawal of deposits happened. The goal is to ensure the orderly execution of the liquidity strategy in order to restore Tabung Haji’s liquidity position and confidence while minimizing interruptions to depositors and other counterparties. And last but not least, the CFP also includes a strategy to restore liquidity levels and an escalation process. 3.2 Comments on the impact of measures taken as explained in 3.1 through Annual Report 2020 The impact of measures taken by Tabung Haji to strengthen its liquidity risk management in 2019 had shown a significant influence on the performance of Tabung Haji in 2020 through creating the value for the depositors, increasing their affiliates and getting involved in the community. The first impact is Tabung Haji able to create value for its depositors. Tabung Haji showed a commitment to protecting its depositor’s interest by strengthening its liquidity risk management framework in 2019. This effort resulted in tangible benefits for the depositor as they felt more secure in terms of the accessibility and safety of their savings. Plus, it also helps TH meet the depositors withdrawals promptly and fosters a sense of confidence and trust among the depositors. As a result, TH closed the financial year ended December 31 2020, with approximately nine million depositors and recorded a total deposit of RM75.9 billion. This demonstrates an improved degree of trust and confidence among the clients. TH ended the year with a net profit of RM2.2 billion after zakat and revenue of RM3.1 billion in spite of the difficult economic conditions. In addition, the effectiveness of Tabung Haji’s liquidity risk management strategies in 2019 has attracted more interest from potential affiliates and partners in 2020. A strong liquidity management framework indicates stability and dependability in the financial systems, which makes TH an attractive partner for collaboration ventures and partnerships. TH was able to access new opportunities for development through the expansion of its affiliate network and help them improve the value offered for their stakeholders. Furthermore, TH placed a significant emphasis on liquidity risk management in 2019 in order to establish stronger connections with the community it serves. Since COVID-19, every level of community has been affected from the small business owners to impoverished families. So, TH has come up with a solution to fulfill their urgent needs by providing food and cash support during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period. A total of RM19.2 million was allocated to several projects, and around 51,000 people, families, and welfare organizations have benefited from this support. Because of strong liquidity management , Tabung Haji enables direct funds into community development projects, promoting goodwill and building relationships with local stakeholders. This engagement not only helped to improve community relations but also strengthened Tabung Haji’s position as a good corporate citizen. Based on the TH’s financial analysis in 2020, it shows that by implementing liquidity risk management in 2019, there was a slight increase in all aspects of Tabung Haji that represent the TH’s financial performance, starting from operating profit, zakat, net profit, number of depositors, and depositor’s savings. However, only revenue shows a decrease from 3.2 million in 2019 to 3.1 million in 2020. In addition, the depositor’s savings graph recorded the highest number among the other aspects, from 69 million to 76 million about a 6 million increase in 2020. The increase in all of these aspects plays an important role in determining TH’s financial performance. In conclusion, the deliberate attempts of Tabing Haji to enhance liquidity risk management in 2019 laid the framework for a transformative year in 2020. By prioritizing the safeguarding of depositor interests, increasing its affiliations, and taking part in community welfare programmes, TH not only improved its financial performance but also strengthened its reputation as a reliable trustee of public funds and agent of positive social change in Malaysian society. 3.3 Developments and changes in Tabung Haji after the implementation of the restructuring exercise impact Tabung Haji in better risk management? Tabung Haji conducted a restructuring process in order to improve its risk management, financial stability and enhance its governance. There have been some developments and changes in Tabung Haji through the implementation of the restructuring exercise, which had a positive impact on risk management in Tabung Haji. The impact of the restructuring exercise at Tabung Haji assists them in improving its governance structure. The restructuring helped Tabung Haji through the establishment of distinct lines of responsibility and changing the structure of its board of directors. Plus, the decision making process also becomes more transparent and aligned with the fund’s objectives. Furthermore, better risk management approaches not only safeguard depositors' interests but also increase their confidence and trust in Tabung Haji’s governance and operations. Tabung Haji can increase the credibility among the shareholders for the long term by demonstrating a commitment to practicing effective risk management after the restructuring process. To sum up, the restructuring exercise's focus to improve the Tabung Haji performance in terms of its risk management has led the institution to be more capable and sustainable that are able handle any challenges and fulfill its purpose to serve the pilgrims and depositors effectively. SECTION 4 : TABUNG HAJI UNDER IFSA 2013 Tabung Haji has experienced several issues from 2014 to 2020. The structure at that time was governed by politicians that have power to decide anything they want. The politicians played a pivotal role on its management and investment committee that led worse to the management itself. The intervention from politicians influences the misgovernance of the Tabung Haji where each politician might have their own personal interest and tend to misuse all the funding kept by Tabung Haji. The funding of RM 82 billion under TH will open the door to the falling down of the economy if it was mismanaged by the high committee of the TH. Beside that, another issue raised during that period instead of the involvement of politicians is the misleading documentation on the annual report. Thus, Tabung Haji has lodged a police report in 2019 due to the misleading figures that were reflected in the 2017 financial statement which was approved by the board that held the high position at that time. As the consequences, TH was very concerned for the risk that they experienced from that issue. Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) as a responsible body to take care of financial institutions has taken a wise action by taking over the Tabung Haji to be supervised under BNM itself. Prior to that, Tabung Haji, which is classified as an independent body under the Prime Minister Department, has to decide their plan and strategies alone without any intervention from BNM. Since several scandals happened in Tabung Haji, the Ministry of Finance immediately announced that BNM will take over the Tabung Haji to be supervised by them and also to restructure the system of Tabung Haji. As we know, BNM, which has a high level of strictness in terms of regulation and governance, was trusted to bear all the destruction done by the past Tabung Haji management. In addition to that, under Islamic Financial Services Act 2013 (IFSA) enacted by BNM, it was compulsory for BNM itself to regulate and govern all islamic financial institutions. Therefore, it was one of the factors why Tabung Haji was under the regulatory oversight of BNM since Tabung Haji was prescribed as islamic financial institution in Malaysia. The decision of BNM in taking over the Tabung Haji was considered as a brilliant decision making where it was governed by the trusted entity. BNM that have the power to gazet a new ruling for the sake of risk mitigation can protect the interest of each financial institution. Tabung Haji was classified as a Development Financial Institution (DFI) under BNM and is responsible to meet the obligation set up by the BNM as a supervisor. Beside that, the moment when Tabung Haji was supervised by BNM has gained a solid trust by the community and also the shareholder where they assume BNM will intervene in any decision making for Tabung Haji regarding their future planning in terms of investment and capital requirement. The existence of the BNM in Tabung Haji structure was also considered as a check-balance party where they were responsible to critic and question all the action taken by Tabung Haji whether it was a good decision or otherwise. On top of that, BNM as an entity that monitors financial stability helps Tabung Haji to get back on track. Otherwise, if Tabung Haji fails to hold the depositors fund, it will influence the financial stability as it will break the trust of the depositor itself and also the shareholders that invest in Tabung Haji. Therefore, the decision of taking over the Tabung Haji under BNM was considered as an excellent initiative by the Central Bank in its effort to protect Tabung Haji thus avoiding Tabung Haji from experiencing adverse consequences in the days to come. SECTION 5: CONCLUSION To sum up, this report looked at the difficulties faced by Tabung Haji (TH), an Islamic organization in Malaysia that helps people perform the Hajj. Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH), which helps Muslims make the Hajj, is an essential part of Malaysia's Islamic banking system. It was founded in 1963 and operates according to Shariah, providing investments and savings plans that are in line with Islamic law. But TH encountered serious difficulties that called for a reorganization strategy. There are a lot of lessons from this report. First, the issues and restructuring. As demonstrated by the problems of financial mismanagement and unsustainable practices that resulted in the restructuring, the analysis demonstrated the necessity of proactive risk management. A proactive approach to risk management aims to recognise possible risks and take steps to mitigate them before they materialize. Preventing these risks from happening in the first place is the aim, or at the very least, reducing their impact on the organization. But in the case of TH, they restructured after the issues happened. Asset rationalization, financial recapitalization, governance reforms, operational efficiency and stakeholder communication are the key components associated with the restructuring plan of TH in order to overcome the issues of financial challenges and restore the stability of the institution. Second, risk identification. It was essential to identify certain hazards, such as the operational and liquidity concerns that TH faced. Under the operational risks, Movement Control Order (MCO) forced physical branch closures and to change to online platforms that can lead to cyberattacks. While liquidity risk happens when the depositors tend to withdraw their money. These difficulties show how operational and liquidity issues are linked. Disruptions in operations can have a direct effect on depositor behavior and, as a result, TH's capacity to pay its debts.This incident highlights the necessity for TH to consistently improve its risk management techniques, including backup plans for handling unanticipated circumstances. Third, liquidity management measures. Strong liquidity management was highlighted by the adopted methods that focused on daily monitoring, preserving high-quality liquid assets, and creating a contingency plan for funding shortages. TH manages liquidity with a focus on daily monitoring which tracks incoming deposits and overall cash flow on a daily basis. Islamic short-term money market funds or sukuk is one of the ways TH preserving their high-quality liquid assets. Tabung Haji wants to make sure it has enough cash on hand to cover its daily expenses and run Hajj operations efficiently while protecting depositors' money by concentrating on these three areas. Fourth, the impact assessment. Examining how these actions improved TH's financial performance in 2020 demonstrates how successful data-driven decision making can be. By creating value for the depositors, the high total deposit made by TH indicates a higher degree of confidence and trust. Working together with other banks can strengthen ties and increase the range of financial products available to depositors. Additionally, cost savings and increased operational efficiency could result from sharing resources and expertise. The endeavors of Tabung Haji possess the capability to yield noteworthy benefits for both depositors and the wider Muslim populace. However, to handle potential issues and guarantee that these activities are carried out successfully, meticulous preparation and execution are required. Finally, improved risk management after restructuring. According to the research, TH's risk management was improved by the restructuring exercise through greater governance and transparency, highlighting the significance of these practices in preserving financial stability. Greater governance with better risk identification and mitigation techniques were probably made possible by the reorganization, which also probably created more distinct lines of power and accountability. Next, enhanced financial reporting with a clearer view of Tabung Haji's financial situation is made possible by more precise and transparent financial reporting, which facilitates better risk assessment and well-informed decision-making. This lessens the possibility of handling money poorly. All things considered, these advancements ought to assist Tabung Haji in anticipating, evaluating, and reducing dangers, resulting in a stronger financial situation. REFERENCE Abdullah, S. S. (2015). The Role of Tabung Haji in the Islamic Financial System in Malaysia: Analysis of Its Activities and Performance. International Journal of Trade, Economics and Finance, 6(4). Ahmad, Z. (2019). Tabung Haji: A financial scandal of great proportions. The Edge Malaysia. Accountability and Integrity Issue in Tabung Haji | PDF | Economies | Malaysia. (n.d.). Scribd. Retrieved May 15, 2024, from https://www.scribd.com/document/566061995/ACCOUNTABILITY-AND-INTEGRITY-ISSUE-IN-TABUNG-HA JI Laporan Tahunan | Tabung Haji. (n.d.). Lembaga Tabung Haji. Retrieved May 15, 2024, from https://www.tabunghaji.gov.my/ms/korporat/arkib/laporan-tahunan Nawi, N. F., & Ismail, A. G. (2011). Tabung Haji: An Islamic Investment Institution in Malaysia. International Journal of Economics, Management and Accounting, 19(2). Pauzi, N. A. M., Abdul-Rahman, A., & Nor, S. M. (2017). Impak kepercayaan dan kesetiaan pendeposit Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) terhadap risiko kecairan. Jurnal Pengurusan, 50, 55-69. Rahim, H. A. (2019). Tabung Haji: A case of financial mismanagement. The New Straits Times. Rahman, N.R., Sofian, F.N., Asuhaimi, F.A., & Shahari, F. (2020). A CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF DEPOSITORS’ TRUST AND LOYALTY ON HAJJ INSTITUTION - CASE OF LEMBAGA TABUNG HAJI MALAYSIA. International Review of Management and Marketing, 10, 99-106. FINC 3303 RISK MANAGEMENT OF IFIs Group Members (1) Hasanul Hakim (3) Andrika Addin (5) Aiman Radzuyan DIMENSIONS TRAITS/MARK S ORGANIZATI ON (10%) GROUP ASSIGNMENT 2 - EVALUATION FORM (2) Haiqal Aiman (4) Aina Najwa (6) Ali Karimi 1 Layout and logical flow Poor labeling of sections, headings/ sub-headings, diagrams/tables/figures, and no logical flow of information. Sentencing Poor sentence connection, long sentences, and numerous grammar & spelling mistakes. SEMESTER 2, 2023/2024 Appendix 2 Group No: 2 2 Section No: 2 3 Improper, inconsistent labeling of sections, headings/ sub-headings/ diagrams/ tables/figures and sensible but inconsistent flow of reporting. Acceptable sentencing but not clear enough, some grammar & spelling mistakes - overall acceptable Clear labeling of sections headings/ sub-headings, diagrams/tables/figures, and logical and consistent flow of reporting the information Excellent connection with clear sentences, very minimal grammar and spelling mistakes. Sub Total Sub-sec 1.1 SECTION 1 (30%) Sub-sec 1.2 Sub-sec 1.3 Inadequate coverage and descriptions. Inadequate coverage and descriptions. Inadequate coverage and descriptions. Sufficient coverage and description. Sufficient coverage and description. Sufficient coverage and description. Complete coverage, clear and concise. Complete coverage, clear and concise. Complete coverage, clear and concise. Sub Total Sub-sec 2.1 SECTION 2 (40%) Sub-sec 2.2 Sub-sec 2.3 Inadequate coverage and descriptions. Inadequate coverage and descriptions. Inadequate coverage and descriptions. Sufficient coverage and description. Sufficient coverage and description. Sufficient coverage and description. Complete coverage, clear and concise. Complete coverage, clear and concise. Complete coverage, clear and concise. Sub Total SECTION 3 (15%) Conclusion Inadequate coverage and descriptions. Sufficient coverage and description. Complete coverage, clear and concise. A wordy and dull report Limited use of creative & interesting ways of reporting Creative and interesting ways of reporting No reference and citation Available but inadequate, inaccurate style. A comprehensive reference, accurate style Sub Total CREATIVITY (2.5%) Sub Total CITATION AND REFERENCES (2.5%) Sub Total Total (%) Total (25%)