Bank Negara Malaysia has set out three guiding priorities for its upcoming Financial Sector Blueprint 2027-2030, aiming to build a more resilient, prosperous, and future-proof financial system for the country. Governor Dato’ Sri Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour unveiled the framework at the Sasana Symposium 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, alongside the launch of a new social finance initiative aimed at vulnerable communities.
Key Facts At A Glance
- Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) outlined three priorities for its Financial Sector Blueprint 2027-2030
- Announcement made at Sasana Symposium 2026 in Kuala Lumpur on July 28, 2026
- Priorities cover societal resilience, economic prosperity, and a future-proof financial system
- BNM concurrently launched iTEKAD Employment, a new social finance programme
- Seven Islamic banking institutions are participating in iTEKAD Employment
- BNM’s Open Finance framework is targeted for phased rollout starting in 2027
- Asset tokenisation initiatives are advancing through pilots under the Digital Assets Innovation Hub
- The blueprint is being developed jointly with industry, government, and other stakeholders
Three Pillars For The Next Blueprint
BNM Governor Dato’ Sri Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour outlined the priorities during his keynote address at Sasana Symposium 2026, where the blueprint’s focus areas were described as finance for a more resilient society, finance for a more prosperous society, and a future-proof Malaysian financial system. The governor stressed that sustaining reform momentum matters as Malaysia navigates a more uncertain global environment, framing resilience as an ongoing process of adaptation rather than a fixed state to defend.
The symposium, themed “Reforms for Resilience: Navigating Uncertainties,” brought together policymakers, industry leaders, academics, and civil society representatives to discuss economic resilience, wages, cost-of-living pressures, investment, energy security, Islamic finance, and private healthcare costs. The blueprint is being formulated in close collaboration with the financial industry, government, and other stakeholders to ensure it reflects real economic challenges and evolving needs.
iTEKAD Employment Expands Social Finance Support
Alongside the blueprint priorities, BNM launched iTEKAD Employment, extending its existing social finance initiative beyond its current entrepreneurship and protection programmes. The new arm is designed to help individuals from vulnerable communities secure stable employment and income through skills training, financial education, job placement support, and access to financial solutions.
Seven Islamic banking institutions are participating in the rollout: Bank Islam, Bank Muamalat, CIMB Islamic Bank, Maybank Islamic, Public Islamic Bank, RHB Islamic Bank, and SME Bank. The programme also involves funding partners, training providers, corporates, charitable organisations, and state religious bodies.
Open Finance And Tokenisation Move Forward
BNM’s Open Finance framework will establish a foundation for secure, consent-based financial data sharing, with supporting infrastructure being developed alongside Payments Network Malaysia and industry participants, with phased implementation slated to begin in 2027. The central bank is also advancing its asset tokenisation roadmap through pilot projects under its Digital Assets Innovation Hub. BNM has framed both initiatives as tools in service of broader goals rather than ends in themselves, tying their eventual value to whether they strengthen trust and expand opportunity across the financial system.