ZICO Shariah Advisory Services Sdn Bhd (ZICO Shariah) is the Shariah Adviser to our Islamic funds. ZICO Shariah is a member of ZICO Holdings and is registered by the SC to advise on sukuk issuances, Islamic funds as well as other Islamic capital market products and instruments. It is also approved by the Central Bank of Malaysia to provide Shariah advice, Shariah review and Shariah audit services to Islamic financial institutions. ZICO Shariah has more than 13 years of Shariah advisory experience.

ZICO Shariah is currently the Shariah Adviser for 62 funds.

Designated Persons Responsible for Shariah Matters Relating to the Funds:

Professor Dr Ashraf bin Md Hashim (Shariah Adviser) is the Chief Executive Officer of ISRA International Consulting (ISRA Consulting). He is also a Professor at the International Centre of Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF). Dr Ashraf currently sits on the Central Bank of Malaysia's Shariah Advisory Council as Deputy Chairman and the Securities Commission of Malaysia’s Shariah Advisory Council. He is also the Chairman of Shariah Committee of Bursa Malaysia. Dr Ashraf obtained his PhD (Islamic Law) from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom (1999). His Masters in Fiqh and Usul Fiqh was from University of Jordan (1995) and his BA in Shariah from the Islamic University in Medina, Saudi Arabia (1991). He is also a holder of the Postgraduate Diploma in Shariah Law and Practice (DSLP) from International Islamic University Malaysia (2000).

Datuk Professor Dr. Mohamad Akram Laldin (Shariah Adviser) is currently an Executive Director of ISRA Research Management Centre and a Professor at INCEIF University. At present, he is the member of the Shariah Advisory Council of Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), Chairman of Shari’ah Board of Employees Provident Fund Malaysia (EPF), member of Shariah Supervisory Council of Labuan Financial Services Authority (LFSA), Chairman of Shariah Advisory Committee for Shariah Compliant Fund (SACF) of Amanah Saham Nasional Berhad (ASNB), and other Boards locally and internationally. Datuk Prof. Akram holds a B.A. Honours degree in Islamic Jurisprudence and Legislation from the University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan and a Ph.D. in Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence (Usul al-Fiqh) from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom. He is a registered Shariah Adviser for Islamic securities with the Securities Commission of Malaysia and has acted as Shariah Adviser in the issuance of several Sukuk.

Dr. Aida Othman is a Shariah Adviser at ZICO Shariah Advisory Services. She is also a Partner at Messrs. Zaid Ibrahim & Co. Dr. Aida specializes in Islamic banking and finance, Islamic capital market instruments and takaful products and operations as well as on Shariah compliance and governance, including on the legal and regulatory framework for Islamic finance. She also serves as a Shariah committee member at a few Islamic financial institutions.