A Comparative Analysis of Bankers’ Perceptions on Islamic Banking

This research was conducted to gauge the perceptions of employees, in both Islamic banks and conventional banks, of Islamic products and services, the training and experience gained in Islamic banking, and the potential of Islamic banking in Malaysia. Questionnaires dealing with Islamic banking were distributed to bankers in the northern part of Malaysia. The results revealed that bankers in Islamic banks have more positive perceptions on the above issues. Interestingly, few of the bankers possessed a relevant academic background or relevant experience in Islamic banking before embarking on this career. The bankers also claimed that they had very limited knowledge in this area prior to working with the banks; thus, the issue of the availability of well-trained and skilled employees must be addressed critically by the government, industry players and educationists for the sustainable growth of Islamic banking in Malaysia, and to meet the target set for the year 2010