Positive Social Impact of Islamic Social Finance During Covid-19: Case Study of Malaysia

Abstract: The global pandemic of COVID-19 has affected many aspects of human lives all over the world. Changes in many policies in the economic, political, health, social and education system can be observed including in Malaysia. The practice of Islamic social finance (ISF) tools such as sadaqah (charity), zakat (alms) and microfinance in many Islamic financial institutions is crucial to help improve the affected society’s quality of living and help them overcome any financial challenges in this difficult time. In response to this pandemic, the objective of this study is to explore the practice of ISF in three Islamic banks which are Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad (BIMB), CIMB Islamic Bank Berhad (CIMB Islamic) and Agrobank along with its positive impacts on the society during this outbreak. This study also aims to figure out which bank is more effective in their ISF practice in delivering positive social impact. Depending on analytical and quantitative investigation, this paper specifically applies the comparative analysis method by reviewing and analysing the relevant data using the Value-Based Intermediation (VBI) strategy indicator of community empowerment. The result of this study reveals that in general, BIMB is the most efficient institution in delivering a positive impact to the society through its ISF practices, followed by Agrobank and CIMB Islamic.