@Halal May/June 2021 | Page 18

A first by Maybank Islamic Bank launches market-first online gold investment account with option to own physical gold
18

Islamic Finance

@ Halal | May-June . 2021

A first by Maybank Islamic Bank launches market-first online gold investment account with option to own physical gold

MAYBANK Islamic Berhad recently launched its first investment product , called the Maybank Islamic Gold Account-i ( MIGA-i ). It allows customers to open an account , buy and sell gold , and transfer gold , all conveniently online via Maybank ’ s online banking channel , Maybank2u .

Customers can start investing in gold and perform-buy or sell transactions from as low as RM10 .
FIGURE 1 : MIGA-i on Maybank2u
This service allows customers to own the physical gold with 999.9 per cent purity . It is accredited by the London Bullion Market Association without the hassle of keeping the physical gold or worrying about its safe custody .
MIGA-i differs from the conventional gold account . This Shariah-compliant gold account allows customers to redeem available gold balance in their account with physical gold , in denominations from as small as one gramme minted gold bar to one kilogramme cast gold bar .
The bank is also the first financial
institution in the country to deliver the physical gold to the customer ’ s doorstep following their redemption .
“ Everyone can invest in gold with an initial investment of as low as RM10 . An upfront preferential rate will be given to customers with an investment of 100 grammes and above . This is to ensure customers get the most attractive gold prices in the market ,” said Maybank Islamic CEO Dato ’ Mohamed Rafique Merican .
FIGURE 2 : Buy Gold on MIGA-i
FIGURE 3 : Sell Gold on MIGA-i
The account is also the first of its kind in the market that allows customers to enjoy real-time market price to buy and sell gold . Customers are also offered the flexibility to place future orders to buy or sell based on their preferred price via Maybank2u .
FIGURE 4 : Future Order – Buying Gold on MIGA-i
FIGURE 5 : Future Order – Selling Gold on MIGA-i
Other benefits that customers can enjoy from this account includes the lower spread between the bank ’ s buying and selling price . There is also no additional charges when the customer transfers the gold in grams from one MIGA-i account to another MIGA-i account .
FIGURE 6 : Transfer Gold on MIGA-i
“ There is now an uptrend in gold investments among consumers . The Covid-19 pandemic has driven investors who are risk-averse to assets such as gold which they consider as a stable investment ,” said Rafique .
“ Maybank Islamic believes it is time to launch such an offering to these customers . We made it easy for them to not just open the account but also to buy , sell and transfer the gold via our M2U platform .”
For MIGA-i , Maybank Islamic partnered with a gold bullion trading company , ACE Innovate Asia Berhad ( AIAB ), which has been involved in trading scrap gold bars , cast gold bars and minted gold bars since 2011 .
AIAB CEO Go Yoong Chang said : “ This is an essential partnership for us . We will work with Maybank Islamic in launching the first-ever gold account with physical delivery of the metal , all the way to customers ’ doorstep .
“ We have a strong reputation and are committed to delivering top-quality services as well as the highest quality in products . This partnership will spur the development of new investment assets with our reliable products and services and help us in advancing the region ’ s gold investment business .”
There is also a referral campaign . The referee and referrer will receive 0.01 gramme of gold when the former opens a MIGA-i account online and make a minimum of RM100 investment .
Those without a referrer code could also enjoy the reward by keying in the referral code ‘ MIGAM2U ’ during account sign up . This reward is on a first-come , first-serve basis .

Maybank Islamic launches MAIA Global Healthcare

Maybank Islamic Berhad has launched its second Multi-Asset Investment Account-i ( MAIA ) called MAIA Global Healthcare which invests equally in the bank ’ s stable financing assets and global Shariah healthcare equities .
MAIA Global Healthcare is an 18-month closed-ended multi-asset investment account with the investment objective to achieve a target return of 6 per cent over 18 months or four per cent per annum .
Open to investors since April 22 , 2021 , the investment product , which offers a minimum initial investment of RM5,000 , aims to reach RM500 million in fund size by the end of the offer period on May 31 , 2021 .
Maybank Islamic CEO Dato ’ Mohamed Rafique Merican said the equal investment in the bank ’ s financing assets and healthcare equities provided investors with the potential upside from marketable securities while enjoying the benefits of financing assets , which can effectively manage any downside risks .
“ Supported by strong asset quality of Maybank Islamic , MAIA Global Healthcare offers a low volatility investment product due to our stable financing assets , and this will provide a steady income stream to the investment portfolio ,” he said .
“ The uniqueness of MAIA is in the combination of investments where equities can give higher potential returns while financing assets can protect investors from downside risks in an adverse market condition .”
The investments in the financing assets will be managed by Maybank Islamic . At the same time , the equities will be handled by the External Investment Manager , Maybank Islamic Asset Management ( MIAM ).
Schroders is the Investment Advisor .
Rafique added : “ We trust that our latest offering can meet the needs of investors who are seeking Shariah investment options which aim to preserve capital whilst generating stable and relatively higher returns .
“ The investment in healthcare equities will also allow investors to invest in companies that are constantly innovating
From left : Head of Maybank Islamic Investment Account Idham Sabki Baharum , CEO of Maybank Islamic Mohamed Rafique , Head of Maybank Community Financial Services- Malaysia Datuk Hamirullah Boorhan holding the product brochure .
to improve the quality of healthcare products and services .
“ For the equities ’ allocation part , MIAM ’ s strategy will focus on healthcare stocks investing in companies with sustainable growth potential . Schroders are its investment advisor . They have deep , on the ground expertise in this sector . We are pleased to offer this investment opportunity to our customers .”