KUALA LUMPUR (April 29): CIMB Group Holdings Bhd (KL:CIMB) played a key role in Malaysia’s first-ever tokenised sukuk issued by Khazanah Nasional Bhd in collaboration with the Securities Commission Malaysia.

The second-largest bank by assets advised the entire process — from structuring the deal to ensuring the technical and governance systems worked for the new digital format — as the sole principal adviser, sole lead arranger and sole facility agent.

Malayan Banking Bhd (KL:MAYBANK) is the issue’s joint lead manager, custodian and primary subscriber of the landmark transaction that also represents a significant step forward in advancing financial innovation in Malaysia while reinforces the country’s leadership in global Islamic finance.

A tokenised sukuk is a digital version of a conventional sukuk, where ownership is recorded as secure digital tokens on a distributed ledger technology system instead of traditional paper or bank records.

The RM100 million sukuk, issued in collaboration with the Securities Commission Malaysia, forms part of Khazanah’s Sukuk Danum Programme, an Islamic medium-term notes programme of up to RM20 billion based on the Shariah principle of Wakalah bi al-Istithmar.

The issuance shows how regulators and industry players are working together to test how blockchain technology can make financial markets more efficient, transparent, and faster — while still maintaining strong rules and trust.

Further, issuers are offered alternative funding avenues and investors gain broader access through fractionalisation and frictionless transactions.

Both banks said they will continue to work with regulators and industry partners to support the development of tokenised financial solutions and advance the digitalisation of Malaysia’s financial markets.