Top financiers from Malaysia are in Bahrain for a roadshow which begins today.

The delegation is led by Crown Prince of the State of Perak, Dr Nazrin Shah Ibni Sultan Azlan Shah, who is the financial ambassador for the Malaysian International Islamic Financial Centre (MIFC), which is organising the roadshow.

He will be leading a delegation of more than 70 members from 45 key organisations in Malaysia.

The delegation will be meeting with Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) Governor Rasheed Al Maraj, chief executives of Islamic banks and several financial organisations and institutions.

The roadshow will conclude with a conference at the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel and Spa on Thursday.

Dr Nazrin Shah will deliver the keynote address. This initiative is being taken to promote Malaysia as a major hub for international Islamic finance.

The MIFC was launched in August 2006 to position Malaysia in the forefront of Islamic finance, to strengthen international linkages and capitalise on the rapid development of the global Islamic finance industry.

It is a collaborative effort by Malaysia's financial and market regulators, including Central Bank of Malaysia (Bank Negara Malaysia), Securities Commission Malaysia (SC), Labuan Offshore Financial Services Authority (LOFSA) and Bursa Malaysia (Malaysia stock exchange) - together with industry participation from the banking, takaful (Islamic insurance) and capital market sectors in Malaysia.

One of the mandates of the MIFC is to strengthen the international linkages in the global Islamic financial system with leading financial centres such as Bahrain.

The roadshow aims to pave the way for cross border collaboration between MIFC and stakeholders in Bahrain.

It is part of a seven day roadshow to the region.

As part of the roadshow, Asia's leading credit rating agency RAM Ratings Services Berhad (RAM Ratings) is exploring further collaborations between the regions, particularly in the areas of Islamic finance.

It foresees demand for capital in both Manama and Kuala Lumpur rising in step with the rebound in the global economy.

"As gateways to the fast growing regions, Manama and Kuala Lumpur can offer linkages between the GCC and Malaysia to provide funding and investment opportunities and enhance market reach," said RAM Ratings chief executive officer Liza Mohammed Noor.

Since its inception, RAM Ratings has ventured into countries such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Kazakhstan, providing an array of services from credit ratings, training, technical assistance and transfer of expertise

RAM Ratings was incorporated in 1990 as the pioneer credit rating agency in Malaysia, and has been voted as the top domestic rating agency in the Asia Pacific region by Asian Development Bank, and also named the most influential rating agency in the region.

Meanwhile, a dinner on the arrival of the Malaysian delegation was hosted by Malaysian Ambassador Dato' Syed Sultan Idris at his residence in Jasra last night.