OBSERVATION OF MORALITY AND SPRITUALITY AS RECRUITMENT CRITERIA FOR SHARIA OFFICERS OF ISLAMIC BANKING INDUSTRY, MALAYSIA

Abstract

Fundamentally, the criteria requirement and general quality for appointing and recruiting Sharia officers of Islamic bank (SOs) is being Muslim in accordance with Sharia Governance Policy Document (SGPD) 2019 of Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM). While according to Imam Al- Nawawy, most important criteria is morality and spirituality. This research is conducted to investigate whether the morality and spirituality observed as recruitment criteria in the SGPD 2019 as well as in practice or not? and how to suggest and propose new good enough criteria in recruiting SOs. The paper will discuss on recruitment criteria of SOs on observation of morality and spirituality beside being Muslim in improving the level of Sharia compliance mechanism. In order to achieve this purpose, the paper has two objectives. First, to identify morality and spirituality according to Imam Al- Nawawy. Secondly, to analyze the observation of morality and spirituality for recruitment of SOs in Islamic banking industry. This paper used the documentary review of existing literatures together with interviewed data from experts of Islamic banking to present a sound legal theory of successful SOs and their practices, the obtainable interviewed data from experts of Islamic banking suggest in improving of Sharia compliance standard to inspire the level of Sharia compliance from the current level to the best after acquiring such attitudes. This paper proposes the best method for obtaining morality and spirituality toward not only SOs of Islamic banks, but also Sharia division members as part of their recruitment and appointment criteria, allowing them to cooperate morally and spiritually before making any decisions. The paper proves that the use of morality and spirituality attitudes as recruitment and appointment criteria of SOs would provides one of the best forms of uplifting the Sharia compliance to the better level.