Indonesian banks deal with sensitivities

Doubling assets: Bank tellers are seen serving customers at Bank Syariah Indonesia in Jakarta. The bank is catering to the growing community of more religious Millennials. — Reuters

JAKARTA: A rise in religious conservatism in Indonesia is drawing talent away from what some view as un-Islamic jobs in banking, industry professionals say, creating hiring woes for conventional banks but a boon for the country’s fledgling sharia finance sector.

The trend comes amid broader societal change in the world’s biggest Muslim-majority country, driven by millions of young, ‘born-again’ Muslims embracing stricter interpretations of Islam.