The Malaysia Securities Commission has appointed Dr. Abdulkader Thomas as the inaugural Sultan Nazrin Shah Fellow to lead research and thought leadership initiatives in Islamic finance. The appointment took effect on 1 November 2025 following endorsement by His Royal Highness Sultan Nazrin Shah, the royal patron for Malaysia’s Islamic finance initiative. The fellowship will deliver studies on Islamic financial markets, including advancing Malaysia’s Islamic finance thought leadership guided by Maqasid al-Shariah and exploring broader themes such as impact investing, sustainability and environmental, social and governance considerations. It also provides for engagement with policymakers, regulators, financial institutions and academic partners, and aims to strengthen collaboration across the UK and beyond through the Securities Commission Malaysia’s long-standing partnership with the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, including the annual SC–OCIS Roundtable established in 2010.