Makhtar Abdullah is Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Shariah Advisors in Islamic Finance Malaysia (ASAS), supporting BNM policies. With over two decades of international experience across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Europe and Central Asia, he is a recognised Islamic finance strategist and corporate transformation specialist, with deep expertise in Shariah governance and institutional capacity building. Under his leadership, ASAS has grown into a nationally and internationally recognised professional body. He pioneered the world’s first structured cross breeding certification programmes for Shariah professionals, the Certified Shariah Advisor (CSA) and Certified Shariah Practitioner (CSP), raising global standards for Islamic finance talent. Makhtar works closely with regulators, financial institutions, universities and international organisations on policy development, Shariah governance, and cross-border capacity building, including bank conversions, fintech, and ESG initiatives. He is an Associate Research Fellow and External Examiners at few local universities, a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia (ICDM). A sought-after speaker across Asia Pacific and the Middle East, he holds an LLB (Hons), Accounting and Post Graduate Islamic Banking qualification.