LABUAN — Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), as the academic co-organiser, partnered with the Labuan Bank Compliance Officers’ Networking Group (LB CONG) to successfully host the 2nd Labuan International Compliance Conference (LICC) 2026, bringing together more than 180 participants from Malaysia’s financial, regulatory and academic sectors.
Held at the Rafflesia Seminar Room, Financial Park Labuan on August 4, the conference was themed “Due Diligence and Compliance: Navigating Global Uncertainty” and served as a platform for knowledge sharing and professional networking on governance, compliance, anti-money laundering (AML), risk management and best practices within the Labuan International Business and Financial Centre (Labuan IBFC).
Participants included regulators, compliance officers, banking professionals, legal practitioners, academics, industry professionals and university students from across the country.
The conference was supported by the Labuan Financial Services Authority (Labuan FSA), the Labuan International Insurance Association (LIIA) and the Labuan Investment Banks Association (LIBA).
The event was officiated by Labuan FSA Deputy Director-General Syahrul Imran Mahadzir. Also present were LB CONG Chairman Alvin Han, Association of Labuan Banks (ALB) Chairman Nor Rashidi Mohammad, UMS Labuan Faculty of International Finance Dean Associate Professor Dr Geoffrey Harvey Tanakinjal, and LIBA representative Elvin Mingel.
In his welcoming address, Alvin stressed the importance of close collaboration among regulators, financial institutions, professional bodies and higher education institutions in strengthening the culture of compliance and ensuring Labuan IBFC remains a competitive and trusted international financial centre.
Representing UMS, Associate Professor Dr Lee Hock Ann delivered a keynote lecture titled “Building a Strong Compliance Ecosystem in Labuan IBFC”, highlighting the university’s role in producing competent compliance professionals through quality education, applied research, industry collaboration, and professional training and certification programmes.
A highlight of LICC 2026 was the official launch of the book, Due Diligence and Compliance in Labuan IBFC: A Practical Guide for Compliance Officers, published in conjunction with the conference.
The publication provides practical guidance on risk-based approaches, due diligence processes, corporate governance, monitoring and reporting, as well as regulatory compliance within Labuan IBFC. It is expected to serve as an important reference for compliance officers, financial institutions, regulators, academics and students.
The book was co-authored by Alvin Han, Associate Professor Dr Geoffrey Harvey Tanakinjal, Cindy Koh and Bong Lui Lui, reflecting close collaboration between industry and academia in producing practical reference materials to strengthen professionalism, governance and compliance practices in the financial services sector.
The conference also featured presentations by experts from Labuan FSA, Sheila Hussain Vijay and Partners, and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), who shared insights on supervisory expectations, strengthening compliance functions, anti-money laundering investigations, asset recovery and the increasingly complex regulatory landscape.
A forum titled “Compliance Under Pressure: Managing Risk Across Border” was also held, moderated by Alvin Han with panellists Nor Rashidi Mohammad (ALB), Annie Undikai (LIIA), Elvin Mingel (LIBA) and Rita Sharif (ALTC). The discussion focused on cross-border risk management, international regulatory cooperation and strategies to strengthen governance in the evolving global financial environment.
As the academic co-organiser, UMS reaffirmed its commitment to advancing human capital development, research, professional training and strategic collaboration with regulators and industry stakeholders in governance, compliance, risk management and international finance.
The university said its involvement in LICC 2026 demonstrated its continued commitment to supporting Labuan’s development as a competitive international business and financial centre while strengthening collaboration between academia and industry.
The organising committee, led by Hayati Soet@Osman with co-organiser Dr Sharinah Puasa, expressed appreciation to all speakers, panellists, sponsors and participants for contributing to the success of the conference. UMS also congratulated LB CONG on organising the prestigious event and expressed hope that the strategic partnership would continue to promote integrity, good governance and compliance within the financial sector.
