Scaling Beyond Borders: Structuring Business Expansion through Labuan IBFC, Malaysia
About the Webinar
As businesses increasingly expand beyond their home markets, navigating cross-border operations has become more complex. From regulatory considerations and operational efficiency to investment structuring and risk management, companies today require strategic frameworks that support sustainable regional growth.
This webinar will explore how Labuan IBFC serves as a strategic platform for companies seeking to streamline regional operations, facilitate cross-border transactions, and strengthen their presence across Asia and beyond. It will provide insights into Labuan IBFC’s ecosystem and value propositions, including holding companies, special purpose vehicles (SPVs), Islamic finance solutions, as well as investment, banking, and wealth management structures that support international expansion.
The session will conclude with a panel discussion featuring industry practitioners sharing practical perspectives on regional expansion strategies, cross-border structuring considerations, and risk mitigation approaches for businesses operating internationally.
Key Discussions
- Overview of Labuan IBFC’s value proposition and ecosystem for regional and cross-border expansion
- Structuring regional and cross-border business operations
- Investment, holding company, and SPV solutions for international business activities
- Islamic finance and cross-border structuring opportunities
- Risk mitigation strategies for regional expansion
- Practical insights from industry practitioners on scaling across borders
Speakers
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Dr. Farrukh Habib, Founder & CEO of Azka Advisors (UK) and Co-founder of Alif Technologies (Dubai)
Dr. Farrukh Habib, Founder & CEO of Azka Advisors (UK) and Co-founder of Alif Technologies (Dubai)
Dr. Farrukh Habib is a Shariah scholar and fintech expert with over 13 years of global experience. As the founder & CEO of Azka Advisors (United Kingdom) and co-founder of Alif Technologies (Dubai), he focuses on Islamic fintech and the halal digital economy, including artificial intelligence, blockchain, tokenisation, DeFi and Shariah governance. He is currently involved in various fintech projects as an advisor, mentor or core team member.
Previously, Dr. Habib was a researcher and advisor at the International Shari'ah Research Academy (ISRA), a distinguished Islamic finance research institute under the Central Bank of Malaysia. In this role, he contributed to several projects, research, corporate training, executive workshops, and consultation work on Islamic finance, capital markets, sukuk, takaful, and banking.
Dr. Habib holds a Ph.D. in Islamic Finance from the International Center for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF) University, Malaysia, a Master of Science degree in Banking and Finance from Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom, and both Bachelor’s and Master's degrees in Economics from the University of Karachi, Pakistan. He also graduated from an extensive 8-year course in traditional Islamic sciences, covering jurisprudence (Islamic Fiqh), prophetic traditions (Hadith & Sunnah), and Quranic sciences (Tafsir) from Wafaq Ul Madaris Al-Arabia, Pakistan. He also has authorisation (Ijazah) to teach Hadith from renowned scholars from Pakistan and completed memorisation of the Holy Quran at an early age. -
Harpreet Singh Maan, Founding Member, Malaysia Digital Consortium and CEO & Co Founder of TEIZA
Harpreet Singh Maan, Founding Member, Malaysia Digital Consortium and CEO & Co Founder of TEIZA
Harpreet Singh Maan is a Blockchain Developer turned Entrepreneur, Trainer, Angel Investor, and Market Thought Leader. He is also the CEO & Co-founder of TEIZA, President of ACCESS Blockchain Association Malaysia, and an ISO National Committee Member on Blockchain & DLT standards. He has been instrumental in shaping Malaysia’s blockchain and digital economy policy and currently spearheading the Malaysia Digital Consortium (MYDC), a national initiative to unify the country’s digital infrastructure ecosystem. -
Hillay Janebdar, Partner and Head of Virtual Assets Practice, KARM Legal, UAE
Hillay Janebdar, Partner and Head of Virtual Assets Practice, KARM Legal, UAE
Hillay Janebdar is a Partner at KARM Legal, where she leads the firm’s Virtual Assets practice. A commercially focused Solicitor of England & Wales with over 10 years’ post-qualification experience, she has advised across multiple jurisdictions, including the UK, the UAE (including the Abu Dhabi Global Market), and the British Virgin Islands.
Hillay brings together the technical rigour of private practice with a pragmatic, solutions-driven approach shaped by senior in-house roles. Her expertise spans corporate and commercial law, fintech, femtech, crypto, and payments regulation. She has extensive experience structuring, negotiating, and managing complex commercial arrangements, including SaaS agreements, joint ventures, procurement and vendor contracts, affiliate partnerships, and M&A transactions, with a strong emphasis on aligning legal frameworks to commercial strategy and long-term growth.
With deep cross-border regulatory insight, Hillay advises businesses on licensing, compliance, AML and sanctions, data protection, and regulatory investigations. She is particularly recognised for translating complex regulatory requirements into clear, actionable guidance for boards, executive teams, and investors, supporting confident decision-making in rapidly evolving sectors.
In her role leading the Virtual Assets practice, Hillay works closely with digital asset businesses, blockchain innovators, and financial institutions to launch and scale technology-driven platforms while maintaining constructive regulatory engagement. Her work is underpinned by a strong focus on governance, risk management, and sustainable growth within innovation-led markets.
Hillay’s broader interests include legal innovation, sustainable finance, and blockchain governance. She is committed to advancing responsible business practices and improving access to justice, particularly in emerging markets where technology and regulation intersect. -
Ja'afar Rihan, Head of Islamic Market Development, Labuan FSA
Ja'afar Rihan, Head of Islamic Market Development, Labuan FSA
Ja’afar Rihan currently heads the Islamic Finance section of Labuan Financial Services Authority. Prior to this, he served as the Head of Business Development at Co-opbank Pertama Malaysia Berhad.
He was formerly General Manager of the Simpanan Shariah Department (the world’s first Shariah-compliant pension fund) at the Employees Provident Fund from 2008 to 2018. Earlier in his career, he served as a Vice-President at Calyon Bank.
Mr. Rihan also spent 15 years at Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), where he made significant contributions to the development of the Islamic money market and Islamic financial market. His final role at BNM was as the Manager of the Islamic Money Market and Investment Operations and Financial departments.
