DOES ISLAMIC FINANCE FOLLOW FINANCIAL HIERARCHY? EVIDENCE FROM THE MALAYSIAN FIRMS

Focusing on the sukuk market in Malaysia from 2000-2017, this study estimates the degree of each sample issuer information asymmetry and investigates how it influences sukuk issuance and how it differs by sukuk type. First, we find that a cost-plus-sales-based Murabahah sukuk is available for all sukuk issuers, even though the degree of information asymmetry is high. Second, a lease-based Ijarah sukuk can be chosen by high information asymmetric firms only when the firm has qualified collateral assets. Third, only a low information asymmetric firm can choose a profit-and-loss sharing-based Musyarakah sukuk. Therefore, we conclude that sukuk issuance also follows a financial hierarchy in accordance with the agency costs of each financial methodology required when a specific sukuk is chosen.