Naphongthawat has 27 years’ experience in central banking. His current responsibilities include the formulation of payment systems policy to ensure the efficiency and safety of Thailand’s payment systems, including development of infrastructure, promotion of digital payment transactions and supervision of payment systems operators and payment service providers. His experiences also include the promotion and oversight of financial technologies, including Regulatory Sandbox to facilitate innovative financial services to promote more efficient, cost-saving financial services and financial inclusion. 

Besides his experience in payment area, His previous responsibilities include the implementation of open banking data for customer empowerment and the pilot project for retail CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency).

Andrew Leelarthaepin is a seasoned leader with over two decades of experience in financial services, holding senior roles at firms like JPMorgan, CGS-CIMB Securities and Saxo Bank. He has led businesses focused on foreign exchange, derivatives, and cryptoassets, and was previously the Managing Director of Bitstamp’s Asia-Pacific Business, driving the expansion of the world’s longest-running cryptocurrency exchange. 

Now serving as Head of Business Product at Maybank Securities Singapore, the investment banking arm of Maybank, Malaysia’s largest bank, Andrew oversees multi-asset product strategies, including foreign exchange, derivatives, and digital assets. He is recognised as a thought leader in the digital assets space, frequently speaking at industry conferences and contributing to publications such as the South China Morning Post and The Business Times. 

Andrew’s expertise in both traditional and decentralised finance makes him a trusted adviser, navigating the evolving fintech landscape in the region. 

Maha is Centre Head, BIS Innovation Hub Singapore. The centre develops public goods in the technology space to support central banks in how they discharge their roles in a digital economy and improve the financial system using novel ideas and emerging technologies. Prior to this, Maha was Head of Department for Early and High Growth Oversight leading the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) response to the Kalifa review of Fintech. A Senior Leadership Team member, she is setting up this new department from the ground up as part of the FCA’s strategy.

Maha served as Chief Payments Officer at Pay.UK on secondment from the FCA, responsible for running the payments operations of BACS, Faster Payments, Image Clearing Services and related managed services.

Maha joined the FCA in 2017 to set up the first Payments Department and was responsible for crafting and implementing the FCA supervisory strategy for the UK Payments Sector. This included leading the implementation of the Second Payments Services Directive (PSD2) and Open Banking.

Maha has a keen interest in observing and participating in the many exciting changes that are unfolding in the financial services, innovation and fintech environment. She recently sat on the SteerCo developing the strategy and blueprint for the UK’s newly created Centre for Finance Innovation and Technology.

She has a Degree in Commerce from Macquarie University and a Masters in Public Administration from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Dato' Marzunisham was appointed Timbalan Gabenor on 15 June 2020. As Timbalan Gabenor, he is responsible for the economics as well as the digital and technology sectors.

Marzunisham has over 32 years of experience across various functions of central banking ranging from economic and monetary policy, financial sector regulation and development, financial inclusion and organisational development. From 2015 until 2017, Marzunisham served as Executive Director of the Southeast Asia Voting Group Constituency at the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Marzunisham is a member of the Board of Directors of ASB Management Sdn Bhd, a member of the Board of Directors of Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), and the Chairperson of MIDA's Board Audit Committee. As Deputy Gabenor, Marzunisham is a member of the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee and the Financial Stability Committee.

Marzunisham joined the Bank in 1993 and holds a Master’s and Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom

Mr. Kian Heng Peh joined the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) as Group Head and Lead Economist in October 2024, focusing on macroeconomic surveillance for ASEAN+3 economies. Previously, he was Head of Corporate Investment at United Overseas Bank (UOB), overseeing bank’s strategic and proprietary investments. He also held board positions at UOB subsidiaries including UOB Asset Management and UOB Venture Management. He was a member of the UOB Group Investment Committee and United Overseas Insurance Investment Committee. He chaired the Product Sales Committee which approves all retail investment products for distribution. Prior to joining UOB, he was an investment strategist with Overseas Chinese Banking Corporation.

Mr. Peh spent most of his early career at the Monetary Authority of Singapore, where he was Head of Financial Sector Surveillance and Division Head at the External Department. He was seconded to the International Monetary Fund from 1998 to 2000.

Mr. Peh holds a Master of Arts in International Political Economy from the University of Warwick and a Bachelor of Social Sciences from the National University of Singapore.

Muhammed is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Fellow at the World Inequality Lab, Paris School of Economics, and Senior Associate at the Malaysian Industry Group for High Technology (MiGHT).

From 2018 to 2020, he served as Economic Adviser to the Prime Minister and member of the Economic Action Council. He was also a board member at the Malaysia Investment Development Agency (MIDA) and Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER), and Member of the Honorary Council of Advisors of European-Malaysian Chamber of Commerce.

His professional experience includes Director of Research at Khazanah Research Institute, Head of Economics at the Securities Commission Malaysia, Senior Analyst at ISIS Malaysia, and a Senior Technical Advisor at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Malaysia. He has been a consultant for the World Bank, and several United Nations agencies such United Nations Children’s Fund (“UNICEF”), United Nations Population Fund (“UNFPA”), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).

Muhammed holds a PhD from Sciences Po Paris, a Master's in Economics from the University of Malaya, and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California.

Dr Tricia Yeoh is Associate Professor of Practice at the University of Nottingham Malaysia’s School of Politics and International Relations. She is also Senior Fellow at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and a 2024/25 Atlantic Council Millennium Leadership Fellow, as well as Senior Adjunct Research Fellow at Monash University Malaysia and recently Senior Visiting Fellow at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

She is former CEO of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) Malaysia. She has won several awards including the 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award for Monash University Malaysia, the University of Nottingham’s Postgraduate Award Prize 2020/21 and the Malaysia Australia Alumni Council Female Alumnus of the Year Award 2023.

She writes, teaches and speaks on public policy, subnational governance and international relations. She has previously worked in the Chief Minister's Office of the Selangor State Government. Dr Yeoh holds a PhD in Political Science from the School of Politics, History and International Relations at the University of Nottingham Malaysia. Her writings can be found at www.triciayeoh.com

Azaddin has been appointed as CEO of AKPK since 1 October 2014. He has extensive experience in financial management, credit counseling, and debt restructuring. Through his role at AKPK, he ensures the organization fulfills its mandate to assist Malaysians in improving their financial literacy and overcoming debt challenges.

He began his banking career in 1985 with over 27 years of knowledge and experience in the financial industry, in the area of consumer banking.

Under Azaddin’s leadership, AKPK has embraced digital platforms to reach more Malaysians, making financial education and counseling accessible to a broader audience.

Malek Ali started his career in strategy consulting at The Boston Consulting Group (BCG). He later held senior positions in corporate roles, including a stint at Yahoo! Southeast Asia, where he worked on digital strategy and business development.

In 2008, Malek Ali founded BFM Radio, Malaysia’s first and only independent business radio station. BFM focuses on business news, finance, and current affairs while incorporation intellectual discussions and topics such as health, education and culture.

Raymond Seow is a Senior Supervisor in the Financial Conglomerates Supervision Department at Bank Negara Malaysia. He brings over a decade of experience in bank supervision, policymaking, and reviews of financial institutions in foreign jurisdictions. He holds a Masters in Business Administration from Said Business School, University of Oxford and a Bachelor's Degree in Economics and Finance from the University of Melbourne

Falahi Sarisatriya currently serves as a senior supervisor in the Financial Conglomerates Supervision Department at Bank Negara Malaysia. With nearly 15 years of experience, he specialises in supervising domestic banking groups with diverse sizes, natures, complexities, and risk profiles

Imad is a Senior Supervisor in the Insurance & Takaful Supervision Department at Bank Negara Malaysia. He has contributed to a wide range of portfolios and projects, including prudential supervision (covering life insurers, general insurers, and reinsurers), AML/CFT supervision and policy, foreign equity limit policy, and the accounting portfolio. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

Chu Kok Wei currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Group Wholesale Banking at CIMB Group. In addition to his CEO role, Chu also holds the position of the Group Corporate Treasurer where he oversees fixed income investments, as well as funding, liquidity, and balance sheet management operations for CIMB Group.

Chu is the president of the Financial Markets Association Malaysia (FMAM) as well as a member of Bank Negara Malaysia’s Financial Markets Committee (FMC), an industry-central bank platform for the development of financial markets.

He holds a MSc in Finance and Economics with Distinction and First Class Honours of BSc Economics from The London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom. He also holds the Chartered Banker designation from Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers (AICB) and is a CFA charterholder.

Yun Liu is HSBC’s ASEAN economist, currently based in Hong Kong. She is known for her research on ASEAN macroeconomics, and she is also a frequent commentator on leading international finance TV programmes. Yun has also consistently been recognised as the top accurate economic forecaster for ASEAN.

Prior to joining HSBC in 2019, Yun worked at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, DC, as a research analyst. She gained experience in Asian economies and emerging markets in Washington, DC, and Sydney.

She holds an MA in international economics from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a bachelor’s degree in international and global studies (first class honours) from the University of Sydney.

Shahril Hamdan is a Director of Watchtower Advisory, a firm he founded in 2023 after his exit from politics. Watchtower is a corporate advisory outfit assisting investors navigate Malaysia’s corporate landscape. He was recently appointed as Head of Southeast Asia, Managing Director of GP Bullhound, a global tech advisory and asset management firm with 13 offices across Europe and the US. He also sits on the board of Wahed, a leading global Islamic financial technology and services company, with over 300 thousand customers globally and over USD1bn AUM.

Alongside this full-time corporate and investment career, He co-hosts and co-owns Keluar Sekejap, Malaysia’s most listened-to podcast, covering policy, politics and current affairs. He is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and was also recently Visiting Fellow at the Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Shahril holds a BA in Economics from the University of Manchester as well as an MSc in Race, Ethnicity, and Postcolonial Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science, where he also won the Hobhouse Memorial Prize for graduating top of his class.

Naza serves as the Chief Strategy and Services Officer (CSSO) at KWAP, where he leads the organization’s corporate strategy, organizational transformation, and key service delivery. He plays an integral role in shaping KWAP’s long-term direction, aligning strategic priorities with its KWAP’s mandate, and supports cross-functional execution across multiple divisions.

In this capacity, Naza leads key enterprise-wide initiatives, including enterprise sustainability, pension reform efforts, and institutional capacity building. His leadership is instrumental in steering KWAP through transformative change anchoring on organisational agility, resilience, and long-term value creation.

Prior to his current appointment, Naza headed the Portfolio Strategy and Research Department, where he led the development of KWAP’s investment strategy, Strategic Asset Allocation (SAA), and internal research capabilities. He also played a key role in the enhancement of KWAP’s investment governance and the advancement of responsible investment practices across the organisation.

With over 25 years of experience in capital markets, Naza has held numerous leadership roles focused on strategy and research. His experience and forward-thinking approach have been pivotal to KWAP’s evolution into a dynamic and purpose-driven sovereign wealth pension fund.

Professor Dato’ Dr. Tengku Aizan Hamid was appointed to the Board of Directors of PPA on 26 June 2020. She holds a PhD in Human Development and Family Studies with a multidiscipline minor in Gerontology from Iowa State University at Ames, Iowa in 1992.

Dato’ Dr. Tengku Aizan was responsible for the establishment of the Institute of Gerontology at Universiti Putra Malaysia in 2002 and was appointed as its founding director on 1 April 2002 until May 2020. Additionally, she is currently the lead consultant for the age-friendly cities and communities project under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as well as for spearheading the development of an Active Ageing Index (AAI) for Malaysia.

Dato’ Dr. Tengku Aizan sits on multiple organisations at the national level, namely the National Advisory and Consultative Council on Ageing (since 1996), the Technical Committee on Health of the Elderly Program (since 1997), the Technical Committee on the Private Aged Healthcare and Services Act, and the National Welfare and Community Development Council (2018-2020).

Dato’ Dr. Tengku Aizan was the President of the Gerontological Association of Malaysia (2018-2021), and a fellow of the Academy of Science Malaysia (ASM) since 2019.

Edmund Cheong is the Deputy Chief Executive of Strategy and Corporate at PERKESO, where he has dedicated his career to advancing social protection systems rooted in justice, equity, and innovation.

He began his journey in 2005 by pioneering PERKESO’s Return to Work Program, a milestone initiative that supports injured and ill workers in regaining employment and dignity. Since then, he has led efforts to modernize and digitize PERKESO’s services, making them more accessible, transparent, and inclusive, particularly for gig workers, informal sector employees, and those in employment transitions.

Edmund played a key role in developing Malaysia’s National Blueprint for Social Wellbeing, working across sectors to ensure policies address real needs and future challenges, including ageing populations and economic uncertainty. His work with the Malaysian Social Protection Council (MySPC) further reflects his commitment to long-term, sustainable reform.

Internationally, he serves as the Chairman of the International Committee of the International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions (IAIABC) and is an accredited expert with the International Social Security Association (ISSA).

Guided by the belief that “social security must be a force for equity, not just an obligation,” Edmund continues to shape systems that empower people to live meaningful and secure lives.

Jay Khairil Jeremy Abdullah, the Chief Executive of Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN), is a determined figure in the banking sector, boasting a remarkable track record of over 20 years as a dynamic and results-driven banking executive, including 2 years in Bank Negara Malaysia as a Deputy Director.

As a Chartered Accountant with more than a decade of experience at the helm of senior management, he has consistently delivered exceptional results in the most challenging market conditions. He possesses an unwavering grasp of Malaysia's intricate banking landscape, with a particular emphasis on community banking and financial inclusion. Jay Khairil is not only a visionary leader but also earnest in stakeholder engagement, team leadership and operations optimization.

Jay Khairil's forte lies in shaping strategic vision, fostering innovation, and spearheading remarkable growth. His success story includes a proven track record in regulatory compliance, risk management and digital transformations within the banking industry.

What sets Jay Khairil apart is his unwavering commitment to elevate Bank Simpanan Nasional's (BSN) standing and enhance its contribution to Malaysia's socioeconomic development. Staying true to BSN’s mandate of No Malaysians Left Behind, this commitment is underscored by his unwavering dedication and transformative leadership while maintaining the highest standards of ethics leading to significant impact to the nation, its people, and communities nationwide.

Aside from leading BSN in providing financial accessibility and service nationwide, Jay Khairil is also an esteemed member of Malaysia Institute of Accountant (MIA), Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) as well as Vice Chairman of Association of Development Finance Institutions of Malaysia (ADFIM) and Treasurer of Persatuan Badan Berkanun Malaysia (PBBM). He is also presently the Board Member of WSBI (World Savings and Retail Banking Institute).

Sujatha Sekhar Naik is a practicing lawyer and a senior governance and capital markets professional, whose experience encompasses policy and strategy development, governance & sustainability, compliance, and dispute resolution. With over 30 years of experience in legal and capital market work, Sujatha brings a depth of experience, and a practical and holistic understanding of financial markets and the regulatory framework, together with insight into investor concerns and challenges.

Sujatha is a partner at Messrs Aqran Vijandran and currently serves as a board member of the Financial Markets Ombudsman Service (FMOS). Her career spans leadership roles, including as Chief Governance Officer & Group General Counsel of a glove manufacturing company, bringing her experience in governance and compliance work to the manufacturing sector, advising and guiding the company through its ESG and broader sustainability journey. She was also part of a founding team of a fintech start-up and digital asset platform, responsible for developing the risk and compliance framework for the platform.

From 2013 to 2019, she served as CEO of the Securities Industry Dispute Resolution Center (SIDREC), steering its dispute resolution services to align with international best practices and capital market developments. She continued to contribute to this sector as a board member of the previous Ombudsman for Financial Services, and currently as a board member of FMOS. Her prior work as a regulator at the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC), included advisory and reform work across the Market Policy and Development, the General Counsel’s Office, and the Corporate Finance and Investments, business groups. She played a direct role in major policy initiatives and reform efforts at the SC including leading the development and implementation of SC’s investor education strategy. She continues to contribute to policy work in the capital market. She currently sits on the SC’s Corporate Governance Council and is a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors’ Task Force on Statement on Risk Management & Internal Control (SORMIC) Revision Project Management.

She is the Chairman and board member of the Malaysian Institute of Corporate Governance (MICG), and also sits as an independent director on the Boards of Metrod Holdings Berhad and Hextar Technologies Solutions Berhad.

Sujatha holds an LLB (Hons) from the University of London and was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1989, re-qualifying with the Law Society of England and Wales as a Solicitor in 1990. She was called to the Malaysian Bar in 1998 and is a qualified mediator and trainer accredited by the Bar Council’s Malaysian International Mediation Centre.

Ms Lau Chin Ching is the Director of the Consumer and Market Conduct Department in Bank Negara Malaysia.

Prior to joining the department, Chin Ching was a Director in the Financial Development and Innovation Department up to April 2025 and a Deputy Director in the Financial Surveillance Department up to March 2018. She began her career with Bank Negara Malaysia in 2003 after graduating from the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom) with a degree in Economics.

Ghazari joined Bank Negara Malaysia in 2001 and has taken on a variety of roles, culminating in his current role as the Head of Malaysia Mint. During this time, he worked on numerous key projects including the development of the Bank’s Automated Cash Centre, and spearheaded the development and issuance of 3rd series Malaysian coins, launched in 2012.

Ghazari also honed his project management skills on attachment with the Financial Education Centre Project Management Office overseeing the development and construction of the Asia School of Business, established by the Bank in collaboration with MIT Sloan School of Management. He then led the Transformation of the Malaysian Currency Ecosystem Project before moving on to head the Mint Modernisation Project Management Office as the Project Director.

Ghazari is an enthusiastic and able communicator and frequently speaks at conferences and on panels on the transformation of the currency landscape in Malaysia, most recently at TEMAN Conference in 2023.

YB Hannah Yeoh is the current Minister of Youth and Sports in Malaysia since 2022, becoming only the second woman to have been appointed to the Ministry of Youth and Sports. YB was previously the Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, a post she held from mid-2018 to early 2020.

At present, she is serving her second term as the Member of Parliament for P117 Segambut, a parliamentary constituency in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, which she first won in 2018 during the historic general election which saw the Pakatan Harapan coalition come to power.

Prior to that, YB was the two-term State Assemblyman for the constituency of N31 Subang Jaya (2008 – 2018). During her tenure as State Assemblyman, YB made history by becoming the first woman to be appointed as the Speaker of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly in 2013 and the youngest of any legislative body in Malaysia.

YB holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Tasmania and was previously a practicing lawyer in Australia and Malaysia before venturing into politics. She is currently a Central Executive Committee Member of the Democratic Action Party and Vice Chairman of DAP Federal Territories. Hannah is married to Ramachandran Muniandy and they are parents to two beautiful girls.

Adnan Zaylani was appointed as Deputy Governor on 1 September 2023. He is the Deputy Governor with responsibility over the financial markets and development sectors.

Adnan started his career at BNM as a foreign exchange trader and portfolio manager in 1994 and played key roles in managing the international reserves, the National Trust Fund and several other public sector funds. He also oversaw financial market operations and was involved in advising the government on its cashflow management and debt strategy, participating in its international Sukuk roadshows in 2015 and 2016. He became the Assistant Governor for financial markets, investment, foreign exchange administration and currency management in 2016 before furthering his studies in 2017. Upon completion of this in 2018, he took over as the Assistant Governor of the Development Sector until 31 March 2022 and oversaw the financial markets and investment sector.

Adnan sits on the Board Executive Committee (BEC) of the International Islamic Liquidity Management Corporation (IILM), an organization set up to facilitate cross border liquidity management among Islamic financial Institutions. He is also a Board Member and Chairman of the Executive Committee of INCEIF University as well as a Member of its Nomination and Remuneration Committee. He also sits on the Board of the Government of Malaysia's Retirement Fund (Incorporated), including its Board Nomination and Remuneration, Board Risk and Compliance, Board Procurement Committees. He is the Chairman of the Financial Markets Committee, an industry-central bank platform for the development of financial markets, as well as a member of Financial Market Infrastructure Committee (FMIC), Rules and Compliance Panel. Adnan is also a member of BNM’s Monetary Policy Committee and Financial Stability Committee.

Adnan holds a Masters in Public Policy from the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford, as well as a Masters' degree in Global Market Economics, and a Bachelor's degree in Economics, both from the London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom.

Farhan Ahmad is the Group Chief Executive Officer of Payments Network Malaysia Sdn Bhd (‘PayNet’). He joined PayNet in April 2022, bringing with him over 25 years of financial services experience as an entrepreneur and senior executive in the US and UK.

As an entrepreneur, he most recently founded Bento for Business, a B2B financial operating platform for SMEs that he successfully grew and sold to US Bank, the fifth largest retail bank in the US. Prior to Bento, he founded 2 other successful start-ups, pioneered several ‘first of its kind’ payment solutions, including the very first online Buy Now Pay Later solution, and holds several patents in the payments space.

As an executive, he most recently ran Digital Card Payments for Europe for Barclays. In the past, he has held various leadership roles with Discover Financial Services, JP Morgan Chase, Bank One, and FirstUSA.

An International Baccalaureate scholar, he has a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and is an Official Member of Forbes Finance Council since June 2019.

Alain Yee is the Chief Executive Officer of ShopeePay Malaysia, the leading e-payment platform and digital finance hub integrated with the Shopee ecosystem.

With a proven track record in management consulting and over a decade of experience in tech, media and telecom industries, he takes emphasis on driving growth and user focused innovations in consumer tech.

At ShopeePay, Alain strives to transform the way Malaysians engage with fintech, evening the playing field and opening doors for all Malaysians to access essential financial services.

Alina Amir is the co-founder of Arus Academy, a social enterprise dedicated to ensuring that underprivileged and high-needs students are not left behind in the rapidly evolving future world through a multidisciplinary approach. Drawing from her experience as a teacher under the Teach for Malaysia programme, Arus Academy has developed an educational framework that fosters innovation, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MOE), international organisations, NGOs, and the private sector, Arus strives to bring this transformative education to as many students as possible who face socioeconomic challenges. Additionally, Arus partners with the financial sector to develop innovative approaches aimed at shaping a financially literate generation through the Fun(d) for Life Programme

Aimi is a Senior Economist in the Monetary Policy Department at Bank Negara Malaysia. With over 10 years of experience in the department, she has worked on diverse portfolios and projects, spanning inflation surveillance, fiscal research and advocacy, sovereign ratings, and monetary aggregates. In recent years, she served as the Secretariat to the Monetary Policy Committee and managed several key projects related to the monetary policy framework. Aimi spent a year at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris (Economics Directorate), where she researched the impact of occupational licensing on inter-state job mobility in the US. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Rochester, and a master’s degree in Economics and Public Policy from the Institut d'études politiques de Paris (SciencesPo).

As a Senior Economist in the Monetary Policy Department at Bank Negara Malaysia, 'Aliya' currently serves as the Secretariat to the Monetary Policy Committee. She also manages key projects centred on monetary policy communication and governance. Prior to this, she was also part of the Monetary Affairs and Research team, with a focus on financing conditions. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

Andrew Chan Yik Hong is the Executive Director of the Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association (MSIA). MSIA is the voice of the Malaysia semiconductor and electronics industry. Andrew leads MSIA’s strategic direction, policy advocacy, industry development, and international engagement. MSIA currently represents over 300 member companies from 20 countries, spanning the full semiconductor value chain.

Andrew plays a pivotal role in positioning Malaysia within the global semiconductor landscape. He serves on several high-level national platforms, including PEMUDAH, the National Strategic Semiconductor Task Force, and TalentCorp’s MyMahir Future Skills Talent Council for the semiconductor sector. He also chairs the Semiconductor Working Group under Malaysia’s National Standards Committee, where he champions cross-sector collaboration and technical leadership.

A Fellow Chartered Accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), Andrew brings a distinctive blend of financial discipline, technological insight, and strategic foresight. His prior leadership roles at PwC Consulting, IBM, and Gamuda span corporate transformation, consulting strategy, and public-private partnership development—equipping him to work effectively at the intersection of industry, policy, and talent.

Andrew is a strong advocate for Malaysia’s strategic role in the global semiconductor supply chain—leveraging its manufacturing depth, skilled talent base, and accelerating investments to support industry growth, innovation, and long-term resilience.

Dato’ Seri Wong Siew Hai is the president of the Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association (MSIA), representing companies in the electrical and electronics (E&E) sector comprising 236 members. A highly respected veteran in the electronics industry, he spent most of his career at Intel and Dell.

Recognised for driving industry growth, Dato’ Seri Wong champions Malaysia as a primary destination for E&E investment. He played a pivotal role in shaping strategies for the 12th Malaysia National Plan and New Industrial Master Plan and is a member of Pemudah, a private sector task force aimed at enhancing Malaysia’s business environment and global competitiveness. Currently, his focus is on Academy in Industry, an initiative aimed at encouraging school leavers to join the E&E sector through tailored skill training programs, nurturing a new generation of manufacturing technicians.

Dr Sung Han is a Senior Technology Advisor at Kolon Industries, a South Korean conglomerate which manufactures automative, industrial, chemicals and clothing materials. In his role, he provides technical support in developing technology strategies and roadmaps for diverse areas from hydrogen production to healthcare. He has accomplished organisational turnarounds for business performance, disciplined new product development, and broad technology portfolio execution. Previously, he was the President and Chief Technology Officer of Kolon Group, where he spearheaded the creation of a new R&D segment to drive new growth opportunities as well as established a framework for ongoing technology assessment to guide group-wide investments in alignment with global trends.

Dr Han holds a PhD in Nuclear Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr Tan Chun Sheng is the Vice President of MSIA as well as the Group Vice President and General Manager of STMicroelectronics Malaysia. He currently manages the biggest assembly and test facility specialising in automotive semiconductors and microcontrollers of STMicroelectronics, a global integrated device manufacturer listed on the New York Stock Exchange, Euronext Paris, and Borsa Italiana. He boasts over 33 years of leadership in the semiconductor, hard disk drive, and electronics manufacturing services industries. His distinguished career spans executive roles at ST Microelectronics Malaysia, ON Semi Malaysia, Flextronics, Solectron, and Seagate. Throughout his career, he led various important manufacturing initiatives such as Lean Manufacturing, Total Quality Management, Reliability Centred Maintenance and more recently Industry 4.0 (Connected Manufacturing).

Dr Tan has a Degree in Applied Physics and an MBA from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). In 2017, he was appointed Adjunct Professor to the Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering of Universiti Teknikal Malaysia (UTEM).

Ms. Lim Li Lian is the Deputy Director of the Research for Social Advancement (REFSA), a progressive, not-for-profit think tank focusing on political and socio-economic issues in Malaysia. Ms Lim has over 20 years’ experience in the fields of economics, finance and entrepreneurship in Hong Kong and Malaysia. She combines a first-hand understanding of how business cycles, government policies and planning on the macro-level affect businesses and society on a micro level. Her work has involved research and macro-economic analysis of the economies of Greater China and Southeast Asia with implications for financial market and business investment decision-making. She currently works at the forefront of semiconductor policymaking in Malaysia and is the author of an economic brief titled “Semiconductor Nationalism and its Implications for Malaysia”.

She has a B.Sc. Economics from London School of Economics.

Dr. Marjan is the Deputy President Research at ISRA Institute, INCEIF University. In her current capacity, she oversees different portfolios including research and innovation, research management, assessment and publication, research commercialization, and Islamic finance online database (I-FIKR) developed by ISRA.

She was previously the Director of Research Affairs Department at ISRA from 2013-2017. She is currently a member of the Shariah Advisory Council of Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) effective from 1 November 2019 and a member of the Shariah Advisory Council of Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) effective from 1 July 2023. Prior to that, she was a member of Shariah Committee at a few local Islamic banks.

At the international level, Dr. Marjan has been appointed as member of AAOIFI Education Board from 8 July 2024. She sits on the Advisory Committee of Experts of Lotus Bank Limited and Shariah Supervisory Board of Lotus Capital Limited, both are based in Nigeria.

Dr. Marjan obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Heritage (Fiqh and Usul al-Fiqh) from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and graduated from her Master’s and PhD degrees at the same university.

Munirah joined Principal in November 2006 and was appointed as CEO and Executive Director of Malaysia in May 2013. She has been instrumental in leading the company to grow its Assets Under Management (AUM), deepening its retail leadership with new focus in private retirement space and innovative digital solutions to benefit all Malaysians irrespective of their financial background, and maintaining consistent risk management and investment performance. Under her leadership, Principal Malaysia has embarked on a significant journey in fulfilling its commitment towards the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG).

Munirah’s responsibilities for Principal have continued to expand. In March 2023, Munirah was appointed as the Head of Global Islamic business for Principal, and most recently she was named Managing Director of Strategic Distribution & Institutional Clients Relations (Southeast Asia & Global Shariah) for Principal Southeast Asia, overseeing key strategic institutional client and distribution relationships.

In 2025, Munirah’s role continued to expand where on April 1, she has been named as Chief Executive Officer and Head of Principal Asset Management Group of Companies. In this new role, Munirah is responsible for Principal Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand businesses.

Prior to Principal, Munirah worked as a G7 Economist and strategist for a Fortune 500 multinational oil and gas company. Prior to that, she was a fixed income portfolio manager for emerging markets at Rothschild Asset Management in London.

Munirah has been recognized as Asset Management CEO of the Year Malaysia 2024 by Global Banking & Finance Awards. Munirah was also recognized as CEO of the Year, Malaysia in Asia Asset Management’s 2015 and 2014 Best of the Best Awards. Munirah was also selected as one of the recipients for the "Top 25 Women of Asset Management" award by Asian Investor in 2014.

Encik Hanif Bin Ghulam Mohammed joined Affin Bank Berhad as Executive Director of the Group Treasury Division on 1 December 2021.

Hanif brings more than 20 years of working experience in the banking industry, particularly in Treasury. He has assumed various roles as Regional Head of Islamic Treasury and Director Fixed Income in a renowned Bank in Malaysia.

Hanif obtained his Professional Certificate in Islamic Finance from INCEIF and a bachelor’s degree in Science, majoring in Economics & Management from the University of London, London School of Economics.

Mr. Mohamad Ali Iqbal Abdul Khalid was appointed Assistant Governor on 1 June 2024. As Assistant Governor, Iqbal oversees the Investment Operations and Financial Market, and Foreign Exchange Policy departments.

Iqbal joined BNM in 2002. He has served in various departments in BNM, including the Investment Operations and Financial Market Department, the Governor’s Office, the International Department and as Chief Representative at both Bank Negara Malaysia Representative Offices in New York and London.

Iqbal holds a Master of Business Administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Master of Science in Wealth Management from Singapore Management University and a Master of Engineering from the University of Durham, United Kingdom. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder and a Chartered Banker (CB) from the Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers (AICB).

Datuk Johan is a qualified Chartered Accountant (ICAEW) and graduated with an Economics degree from the University of Cambridge. Since 2004, Datuk Johan has served in various roles including Deputy Secretary-General (Policy) and National Budget Director at the Ministry of Finance, Deputy Director-General (Human Capital) of the Economic Planning Unit and CEO of Talent Corporation Malaysia. On 27 February 2023, he was appointed Secretary-General of the Ministry of Finance. Before joining the government in 2004, he worked for nine years in corporate finance and accounting roles in the private sector.

Dr Christopher Choong Weng Wai is the Deputy Director of Research at Khazanah Research Institute (KRI) and an Atlantic Fellow for Social and Economic Equity at the International Inequalities Institute, London School of Economics.

Dr Chrisopher was previously a development economist for the UNDP Country Office of Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei Darussalam, responsible for the inclusive growth portfolio of the country programme. He developed Malaysia’s first National Human Development Report, a landmark publication used to advance inclusive growth in the country. His work on poverty measurements led to the incorporation of the Multidimensional Poverty Index in official development plans. He has advocated for a higher poverty line in Malaysia, and his work was cited in a report by the UN Special Rapporteur on Poverty and Human Rights that sparked a national debate. He has served on the Technical Committee of Malaysia’s Food Poverty Line and the Technical Committee of the National Social Wellbeing Blueprint.

Mohd Yazid bin Kasim is the Senior Director of the Price, Income and Expenditure Statistics Division at the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), which oversees the compilation of vital statistics in the areas of domestic prices, household income and expenditure.

He has represented DOSM in various international forums, including the Asia-Pacific Statistics Week, the OIC Statistical Commission, and the United Nations Statistical Division (UNSD) webinars, where he shared Malaysia’s experience in developing data strategies and implementing effective data governance.

Ahmad Othman is the Deputy Director of the Monetary Policy Department of Bank Negara Malaysia.

He currently oversees the Macro Monetary Policy Committee group and Price and Labour, which undertakes analysis and research on inflation and labour market areas. He has served in various areas, including surveillance of exchange rate, capital flows and financial markets at the Bank and Economics sector since 2006. Ahmad has held various positions in the Economics sector, including Senior Economist responsible for Balance of Payment, Capital Markets and Financing.

Previously, he was seconded to the IMF and served as an Advisor to the Executive Director for the Southeast Asia Voting Group, responsible for facilitating policy dialogue between the IMF and constituents, particularly Malaysia. Ahmad was appointed as the Special Officer to the Finance Minister II during his secondment in the Ministry of Finance, Malaysia. He assisted the Minister in policy formulation and strategic communications on key Government policies in macroeconomic, fiscal and financial areas.

Dato’ Muzaffar Hisham is the Group Chief Executive Officer of Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Berhad. He has over 20 years of experience in the banking sector, covering areas such as retail and wholesale banking, investment banking, treasury, asset management, and client coverage.

Prior to this, he served as the Group CEO of Maybank Islamic Banking, where he led initiatives to expand Islamic banking, grow its global wealth management presence, and implement digital solutions. He honed his expertise in investment banking during his tenure with Amanah Merchant Bank Berhad, CIMB Investment Bank Berhad and HSBC Amanah Malaysia Berhad. Dato’ Muzaffar also played a crucial role in several key debt and corporate restructuring exercises during the 1997 financial crisis.

Dato’ Muzaffar holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Economics and Accounting from the University of Bristol, United Kingdom. He is also a Chartered Banker of the Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers.

As Vice President and Head of the Sustainability Office, Jo Ann Eala is at the forefront of BPI’s efforts to uphold its vision and mission as a leader in responsible banking and sustainable finance. Jo Ann drives the development and execution of ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) strategies, policies, standards and guidelines, ensuring BPI aligns with global best practices and sustainability standards.

Jo Ann has been a key contributor in BPI’s pioneering role in Sustainable Finance since 2008. Her leadership has helped launch initiatives like the Sustainable Development Finance (SDF) program, in partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which funds projects in renewable energy, energy efficiency, climate resilience, and sustainable agriculture, among others. A unique feature of these ESG program is its free technical consultations that ensure project success.

Jo Ann holds an MBA from the Ateneo Graduate School of Business and a degree in Economics from the University of the Philippines, where she earned academic and leadership distinctions. Before leading BPI’s sustainability efforts, she gained experience in corporate banking, corporate planning, and asset management.

Vikas is an experienced finance professional with a passion for driving social impact. With a successful career in banking, including a 25-year stint at Deutsche Bank, he has held various regional leadership roles. Motivated by a commitment to effecting positive change, Vikas now focuses on exploring the realms of social impact financing and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance).

His aspiration to align financial practices with sustainable and responsible principles has led him to join AVPN as Chief of Impact Investing. In this capacity, he will leverage his financial expertise and visionary outlook to drive capital into the social impact space and help create impact at scale on pressing social and environmental challenges.

Vikas is currently pursuing a Post-Graduate Diploma in Organisation & Leadership for Social Change at the Singapore University of Social Sciences

Shahira Johan is a Senior Financial Sector Specialist with the World Bank's Finance, Competitiveness, and Investment (FCI) Global Practice in East Asia Pacific, based in Malaysia. In her role, she leads the Islamic finance program and provides technical assistance to policymakers and private sector stakeholders regarding financial inclusion, stability, and sustainable finance.

Prior to her tenure at the World Bank, Shahira accumulated over fifteen years of experience as a prudential policy regulator at Bank Negara Malaysia. There, she spearheaded policy development in various domains, including Islamic banking regulation, Shariah contracts, risk management, capital requirements, accounting and financial reporting, and sustainability-related issues. Additionally, she began her career as an external auditor with Ernst & Young, gaining significant expertise in financial reporting and auditing practices.

Shahira holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Chicago and a BSc in Accounting and Finance from the University of Warwick. She is a Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA) with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Jackie B. Surtani is the Regional Director and Head of the Singapore Office at the Asian Development Bank (ADB), where he leads efforts to strengthen collaboration with the Government of Singapore and the financial sector, focusing on climate action and regional investment opportunities. With over 33 years of experience in Asian infrastructure lending and advisory, he has deep sectoral knowledge across energy, infrastructure, and telecommunications.

Previously, he served as Director of Infrastructure Finance at ADB’s Private Sector Operations Department, overseeing landmark investments in renewable energy, electric transport, and broadband infrastructure across East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Before rejoining ADB in 2017, he held senior roles at Siemens Financial Services, Chase Manhattan Bank, Credit Suisse, and led KBC Bank’s Asian Project Finance operations. A UK citizen, Mr. Surtani holds a B.Sc. in Business Finance and Economics from the University of East Anglia and an M.Phil. in Management Studies from the University of Oxford.

Raja Syamsul Anwar is Sustainability Director at Bank Negara Malaysia (Central Bank of Malaysia). He has more than 25 years of central banking experience in the areas of international financial cooperation, financial markets, treasury risk management and monetary policy. In 2021, he was a secondee at the national level Economic Action Council Secretariat.

Raja Syamsul was the Alternate Executive Director representing ASEAN countries, Fiji, Nepal and Tonga on the International Monetary Fund Executive Board (2022 – 2024). Between 2019 and 2020, he co-chaired the regional task force to study the Roles of ASEAN Central Banks in Managing Climate and Environment-Related Risks. He was a member of ASEAN level task forces commissioned to study feasibility of a common currency (2001-2002), exchange rate mechanisms (2004-2006) and use of regional currencies for trade (2009-2010). He was a Visiting Research Fellow at the Bank for International Settlements in Basel, Switzerland in 2005

Norazlam bin Norbi is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of SumiSaujana Group Berhad and also serves as Director of its subsidiary, SumiSaujana TCM Chemicals Sdn Bhd (“SSTCM”), which he founded in 2010. He holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Geology from the University of Malaya and completed the Advanced Industrial Marketing Programme at INSEAD Business School, France in 2006. He has approximately 34 years of experience in the oil and gas and specialty chemicals industry, having started his career with Shell group of companies in 1990.

He is responsible for the overall management and strategic direction of the Group. Under his leadership, SSTCM received the SME Bank Outstanding Entrepreneur Award and the Prime Minister’s Award in 2022. Notable milestones include the acquisition of SSTCM by SumiSaujana Group Berhad in February 2025, and the successful listing of the Group on the ACE Market of Bursa Malaysia in April 2025.

Tatiana Didier is a senior economist in the Finance, Competitiveness, and Innovation Global Practice of the World Bank. Her work focuses on corporate finance and financial sector development, with an emphasis on the challenges for firms in developing countries. She has played a leading role in several World Bank country and regional policy engagements related to corporate and MSME financing, competition and the growth of fintech in the financial sector, overall development of financial markets, and most recently, sustainable finance.

She is also the leading author of several World Bank reports, including Unleashing Sustainable Finance in South East Asia and Managing Flood Risks: Leveraging Finance for Business Resilience in Malaysia, and a forthcoming World Bank Flagship Report, “Boosting SME Finance for Jobs and Growth: The Case for More Effective Support Policies.” Tatiana holds a PhD in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Mohd Nazrul Hazeri Bin Nazirmuddin is the Co-Founder of Kapitani, a Malaysian AgriFintech platform dedicated to empowering smallholder farmers through digital farm management tools, financial inclusion, and traceable supply chain solutions.

With over 15 years of experience in the telecom and digital infrastructure sectors, Nazrul brings a unique perspective on integrating technology with grassroots development. At Kapitani, he champions a community-first approach that balances business growth with local empowerment and sustainability. His work exemplifies how fintech and digital innovation can unlock resilience and transformation for underserved agricultural SMEs.

Peter Yong, better known as Mr Money, is one of Malaysia’s leading voices in financial literacy. As the Founder and CEO of FinLit Media, he has built influential platforms like Mr Money TV, The FAQ Show, Malaysia Money Stories, and The Coffee Break, making finance simple and relatable.

A Registered Financial Planner (RFP), Peter combines practical financial strategies with engaging storytelling to help people make smarter money decisions. His company has worked with the Ministry of Finance, KWSP, Maybank, Hong Leong, Alliance Bank, Prudential, Allianz, Sime Darby Property, and more.

Dr. Norhana Endut is the Assistant Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia responsible for the Financial Regulation Sector, which includes areas of Financial Surveillance, Prudential Financial Policy, Payment Services Policy, and Consumer and Market Conduct. Prior to that, she was the Assistant Governor of the Economics Sector.

Dr. Norhana is an experienced and trained economist, who has been serving the central bank in various capacities, including as Director of the Monetary Policy Department. Dr. Norhana is currently a member of the Monetary Policy Committee, Financial Stability Committee, and various apex decision making committees of BNM. She also oversees BNM’s Digital Currency Research Hub and chairs the subcommittee on Bridging Data Gaps of the Joint Committee on Climate Change (JC3). Dr. Norhana also sits on the Board of Agensi Kaunseling dan Pengurusan Kredit (AKPK).

Dr. Norhana is Malaysia’s representative for the Basel Consultative Group at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) and a member of the Working Group of Banking Supervision of the Executives’ Meeting of East Asia Pacific Central Banks (EMEAP).

Dr. Norhana received her Ph.D. in Monetary Economics and Econometrics and M.Sc. in Economics from the Washington University in St. Louis, USA. She received her degree, the B.Sc. (Hons) in Economics from Warwick University, UK and attended the Executive Programme at Harvard Business School, USA.

Mohd Radzuan Mohamed has more than 20 years’ experience in the industry, covering wide range of expertise, such as takaful and retakaful, insurance and reinsurance, broking, consulting and adjusting. Prior joining MTA he has held various senior management positions in various insurance and takaful companies he served.

He brings strong leadership, management, operational and entrepreneurial skills, with local and international experience, which are critical elements in spearheading the transformation of the Takaful industry especially in achieving the new Takaful landscape aspired in Value Based Intermediation for Takaful Framework.

He is currently, the Grand Councilor of The Chartered Institute of Islamic Finance Professionals (CIIF), the standard bearer of professionals in the Islamic finance industry. Radzuan also has been appointed as an Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Business and Administration of Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM).

He is a member of Lembaga Zakat Selangor (MAIS) Board Risk, Integrity and Compliance Committee. He was also a recipient of the Risk Icon Award for outstanding contribution in the field of Enterprise Risk Management.

Radzuan is a Fellow member of The Malaysian Insurance Institute (FMII), Certified Professional in Islamic Finance (CPIF), an Associate of the Institute Risk Management (AIRM, UK), Enterprise Risk Professional Certification(IERP), and is an alumnus of the Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) in Scotland.

Liew Chin Tong is the Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry. He is currently the Member of Parliament for Iskandar Puteri and the State Assemblyperson for Perling, Johor.

He was a Senator in Dewan Negara and served as Deputy Defence Minister from July 2018 to February 2020. He supported Minister Mohammad Sabu's effort to present Malaysia's first ever Defence White Paper which was passed in Parliament on 2 December 2019.

He was first elected Member of Parliament for Bukit Bendera (2008-2013) and was subsequently the Member of Parliament for Kluang (2013-2018).

Chin Tong graduated with a degree in Political Science and an honours degree in Asian Studies from the Australian National University, and holds an International Masters in Regional Integration from the Asia-Europe Institute, University of Malaya.

Chin Tong is the Chairman of Research for Social Advancement (REFSA) since 2012 and was the Executive Director of Penang Institute (previously Socio-Economic and Environmental Research Institute, SERI, from 2009-2012). He was also formerly a Senior Visiting Research Fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), Singapore.

He is passionate about policies relating to the economy, defence and security, institutional reform, political Islam, security and international relations, and urban studies.

Nurlin Mohd Salleh is the Head of BCG Malaysia and a core member of the Public Sector practice at Boston Consulting Group, where she leads the practice in Malaysia. She sits on the Board of ASNB, and has deep experience working with large corporations and governments across Southeast Asia.

She has worked with multiple governments and government ministries on economic policies including on FDI, sovereign wealth funds, and economic stimulus packages. She has also worked with these clients on digital strategy and roadmap, COVID-19 budgeting, and social progress assessment. She helped develop the 2050 vision for Malaysia, assessed and recommended on sustainability of a public national higher education fund, and supported the development of a new economic policy for a ministry in SEA. Her recent work includes shaping Malaysia’s New Investment Policy, Green Investment Strategy, and the National Energy Transition Roadmap.

Before she joined the firm, Nurlin was a Market Planner at Procter & Gamble in London. She holds a BA and MEng in Manufacturing Engineering from the University of Cambridge.

Professor Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr. Noor Azlan Ghazali is a Professor of Economics at UKM-Graduate School of Business (UKM-GSB) and also the Director of Malaysian Inclusive Development and Advancement Institute (MINDA-UKM). He was a member of the Economic Action Council (EAC) and served as the Executive Director of the EAC Secretariat from 2020-2022. He was the Vice Chancellor of UKM from 2014 to 2018. He is a Mason Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School and also a Commonwealth Fellow of Financial Economics & Banking of the Association of Commonwealth Universities. He was awarded as Fellow (Ad Hominem) of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and conferred with Honorary Professor of Economics by the University of Cyberjaya, Malaysia.

He received Distinguished Civilian Service Award for 2020. His expertise is widely recognized, among others, being a member of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Central Bank of Malaysia (2015-2019) and the National Development Planning Committee (NDPC) since 2014. He was a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Center for International Development (CID), Harvard Kennedy School from September 2022 to February 2023. Currently he serves as Council Member of Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) and Chairman of Board of Universiti Sultan Azlan Shah (USAS). He holds B.Sc. (Finance), MBA (Finance), PhD (Economics) from University of Nebraska-Lincoln and acquired MPA (Harvard) in 2011.

Suhaimi Ilias has over 30 years of experience in economics research. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Economics) and Master of Arts (Hons) in Economics from Cambridge University.

Prior to joining Maybank Investment Bank in March 2007, Suhaimi was with Affin Investment Bank since 1998. Before that, he worked at Bank Negara Malaysia Economics Department for five years, starting his career as an economist at the Macro Economic Division that is responsible for monitoring and analysing developments in the Malaysian economy as well as undertaking growth forecasts and formulating the country’s growth and development policies. He later moved to the World Economy Division as regional economist.

Although he has left public service to join the private sector, Suhaimi remains interested in and contributed to economic policy making. For example, he was a member of the External Consultant Group to the Globalisation Task Force, a unit under the National Economic Action Council (NEAC) between 2001 and 2003, and Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA)’s Technical Resource Group that prepared the inputs for the Third Industrial Master Plan for Non-Financial Services Sector in 2006. He also participated in the discussions on the National Budgets, the 10th Malaysia Plan (2011-2015) and was involved with MIDA's Technical Committee on Investment.

He currently sits in Maybank Asset Management Group’s Investment Committee.  

Benjamin Lee is the Director of the Nexus Global Payments (NGP). This is a newly established legal entity that would manage the Nexus payment scheme, a multilateral arrangement to scale and connect domestic fast payment systems for cross-border application.

Prior to this appointment, Benjamin was a senior staff at the Bank for International Settlements Innovation Hub (BISIH) in Singapore and had previously served as the Acting Centre Head. He was seconded to the BISIH through the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and worked to establish and launch the centre in 2019, and to manage its projects pipeline.

Before that, Benjamin spent most of his career in central banking at the MAS, where he worked on international finance matters, and at the Ministry of Finance in Singapore, where he worked on public finance administration matters. Benjamin has also served as Singapore's representative to the Executive Board of the World Bank Group and was based in Washington DC between 2014 - 2016.

Tommy Yeoh is the Director at Ant International where he is responsible for Malaysia's Business and Strategic Development of Ant International.

With over a decade of experience in international business, business development and government affairs, Tommy has developed his skills in fostering cross-border collaborations, driving strategic growth and navigating regulatory landscapes. His career has been marked by a commitment to leveraging technology and innovative solutions to create meaningful, sustainable impact on a global scale.

Prior to joining Ant International, Tommy worked at Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and was responsible for facilitating digital technology foreign companies to soft-landing into Malaysia. He has also held a leadership role at AirAsia RedTix, a subsidiary of Capital A.

Kevin Lee, as the Country Head and CEO of Curlec Razorpay, leads a company that is at the forefront of the digital payment revolution in Malaysia. Kevin’s leadership reflects the convergence of cutting-edge fintech solutions, customer-centric innovations, and more in reshaping the financial services sector.

He was also the CEO Malaysia of GHL Systems (Now NTT Data Payment Services) since 2019. He began his tenure as International Sales Manager in 2009, spearheading expansion efforts in the Middle East and African markets. He ascended to the role of Chief Executive Officer of GHL Malaysia in 2019, leading the company through significant growth and scalable digital innovation.

Over the past 16 years, Kevin has led the implementation of large-scale e-payment infrastructures across ASEAN, the Middle East, and Africa, strengthening his reputation as a strategic innovator in the payments ecosystem. His leadership spans across international business development, product strategy, sales and marketing and building strategic alliances with global payment networks, fintech firms, and leading merchants.

Kevin holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Software and Computer Engineering from Coventry University, United Kingdom.

Suhaimi Ali is a career central banker and was appointed as Assistant Governor on 1 April 2022. He currently oversees the Financial Development and Innovation, Islamic Finance, as well as Financial Inclusion departments.

Throughout his career with BNM, he served in various areas including financial sector development, regulation and supervision, strategic planning, consumer protection, market conduct, international negotiations, digital and cyber strategies in IT services, as well as in the Governor's Office.

In his previous role as the Director of the Financial Development and Innovation, he was responsible for the development of the financial sector and payments systems, as well as to drive digital innovation within the sector. He also recently led the development of the Financial Sector Blueprint 2022 – 2026.

Suhaimi Ali graduated from the University of Notre Dame, USA with a Bachelor of Business Administration (Accounting) degree.

Aznan was appointed as Deputy Governor on 1 April 2025. As a Deputy Governor, he is responsible for the supervision and regulation of the financial sector.

Aznan joined BNM in 2004. He has served in various departments throughout his 21-year service, including the Financial Conglomerates Supervision, the Governor’s Office, Islamic Banking and Takaful, Financial Sector Development, Financial Intelligence Unit, Financial Surveillance and Bank Regulation Departments.

Aznan was previously the Chairman of the Financial Technology Enabler Group, where he was responsible for developing strategies and regulatory policies to facilitate the use of technology in financial services. He also served as the Assistant General Manager of Danamodal Nasional Berhad, the special purpose vehicle established to recapitalise distressed financial institutions during the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis.

Aznan holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics and Accounting from the University of Bristol, United Kingdom.

Puan Zarifa is the Director of Payment Oversight Department (POD).

Prior to joining the department, Puan Zarifa was a Deputy Director in the Financial Investigation and Enforcement Department, and she is one of the pioneers in developing enforcement policy.

Puan Zarifa started her career in the BNM in 1999 and has experience in the areas of tactical and strategic financial intelligence and investigations, anti-money laundering / counter financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) policy and strategy development and spearheaded Malysia’s National ML/TF risk assessments, BNM’s enforcement policy dan key data analytics initiatives.

Jaspal Singh is the Assistant Vice President of MSIG Insurance Berhad. He is also involved as part of PIAM’s Motor Technical Committee.

Amir Hamzah Azizan was appointed as the Finance Minister II effective 11 December 2023. Prior to assuming the role of Finance Minister II, he had helmed the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) as Chief Executive Officer since March 2021.

With a corporate experience spanning more than 27 years, Amir Hamzah began his career with a decade-long tenure at the Shell Group of Companies. During this period, he held diverse roles in Malaysia, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. Subsequently, he joined MISC Berhad in 2000 and held several senior management portfolios before being appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer in January 2009.

Following his tenure at MISC Berhad, Amir Hamzah took on the role of Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of PETRONAS Dagangan Berhad in June 2010. In August 2012, Amir Hamzah joined PETRONAS Lubricants International as Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, concurrently serving as the Vice-President for Downstream Marketing, and subsequently as Vice-President of Lubricants for the PETRONAS Group. In March 2016, Amir Hamzah joined Ekuiti Nasional Berhad (Ekuinas) to steer its investee company Icon Offshore Berhad as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. Subsequently, he took on the role of Group Chief Executive Officer at Themed Attractions Resorts and Hotel Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional Berhad. In April 2019, he further showcased his versatility across industries by taking on the role of President/Chief Executive Officer at Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB).

Amir Hamzah has also contributed to various organisations in non-executive capacities. He formerly served as the Non-Executive Chairman of Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB) and held directorial positions on the boards of Sime Darby Plantation Berhad and Sime Darby Oils International Limited. Amir Hamzah holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management (majoring in Finance and Economics) from Syracuse University, New York. He has also attended the Stanford Executive Programme at Stanford University, and the Corporate Finance Evening Programme at London Business School.

Born on January 1, 1956, Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad is a distinguished Malaysian politician, academic, and public health advocate. Currently serving as the Minister of Health since December 2023, he is also a three-term Member of Parliament for Kuala Selangor, a position he held since 2008.

Dr. Dzulkefly brings a unique perspective to policymaking, holding a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Life Sciences from Imperial College London, an MSc in Toxicology from Surrey University, and a BSc in Biomedical Science from the University of Birmingham, UK. His approach blends scientific rigor, governance expertise, and a deep commitment to public service.

As Minister of Health, Dr. Dzulkefly has championed transformative healthcare reforms with significant economic and societal implications. He prioritises digital health transformation, sustainable health financing, and public-private partnerships. His establishment of the Health Transformation Office and Digital Health Division aims to create a comprehensive digital health ecosystem, improving resource allocation, public-private interoperability, and access to healthcare services.

His whole-of-nation strategy leverages collaborations with the private sector, civil society groups and international partners to improve healthcare access and efficiency. Notable initiatives include the partnership between KPJ Healthcare and the Mayo Clinic, which is positioning Malaysia as a hub for healthcare innovation and medical tourism.

Beyond his ministerial roles, Dr. Dzulkefly advised Swiss Rocket AG on vaccine innovation, and Bosnalijek, Bosnia’s largest pharmaceutical company. His thought leadership extends to academic and policy arenas, where he advocates for equitable, sustainable, and innovation-driven healthcare as a cornerstone of national development.

Aakash is a Senior Economist and Team Lead at the World Bank's East Asia and Pacific Chief Economist Research Center in Kuala Lumpur.

His research focuses on service delivery (with an emphasis on health and education), urbanization and political economy.

His recent projects leverage large-scale administrative data such as health management information system (HMIS) data and insurance billing data for improving health sector quality and efficiency.

In parallel, he works with innovative survey data such as standardized patients and medical vignettes to measure quality of healthcare and to examine the constraints to improving quality.

His research has been published in prestigious academic journals in economics and health. He holds a BA from Middlebury College, and MA and PhD in Economics from the University of Michigan.

Professor Dato’ Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman is the Chief Executive Officer of Monash University Malaysia and Pro Vice-Chancellor and President (Malaysia), Monash University Australia.

She leads Monash University Malaysia, the first foreign university established in the country in 1998. She is responsible for driving the university’s initiatives to promote excellence in education and research within Malaysia.

With a distinguished reputation as an internationally recognised expert on AIDS and infectious disease, Professor Kamarulzaman has vigorously pursued and applied her research interests to focus on adopting a pragmatic and effective approach to HIV prevention in key populations, including people who use drugs and prisoners. Her work has a strong focus on the links between disadvantage and the spread and severity of infectious diseases.

In April 2021, she was appointed an inaugural member of the World Health Organization (WHO) Science Council with a remit to advise on high-priority scientific issues that could have a direct impact on global health. She is also Chair of the Malaysian AIDS Foundation, the ROSE Foundation with its aim to eliminate cervical cancer in Malaysia and globally and is Commissioner for the Global Commission on Drug Policy and the Global Commission on Inequality, AIDS and Pandemics.

Her other notable career highlights include her appointment as President of the International AIDS Society in 2020, becoming the first Asian to assume the role. She also established the Centre of Excellence for Research in AIDS (CERiA) in 2017, the only dedicated multidisciplinary research centre in Malaysia dedicated to HIV research in the community. In 2004, she was a driving force behind the Malaysian Government’s decision to implement a needle syringe and methadone maintenance program and presently leads a multi-sectoral effort towards an evidence-informed, public health approach to substance use and addiction.

Prior to joining Monash, Professor Kamarulzaman was Dean of University Malaya’s Faculty of Medicine. She has published more than 300 journal articles and has been the recipient of several awards, including the Advance Global Award and the Australian Global Achievement Awards, the Merdeka Award and the Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) from Monash University in 2015.

Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour is the 10th Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia. He was appointed for a five-year term effective 1 July 2023. In his role as Governor, Rasheed also serves as the chair of the Bank’s Board of Directors, Monetary Policy Committee and Financial Stability Executive Committee.

Rasheed joined the Bank in 1988 and has helmed various positions across the breadth of the Bank’s primary functions. These include monetary policy and economics, international reserves management and financial markets, financial sector development, and banking regulations. In 2016, he assumed the role of Deputy Governor.

Rasheed has also played a leading role in driving the Bank’s advocacy efforts on economic affairs, including in the areas of social protection and labour market reforms. This includes to support and advise the Government on issues relating to the management of the pandemic. He also played key roles in the development and implementation of the Financial Sector Masterplan and Financial Sector Blueprints.

At the international level, Rasheed has served and been a member of various international platforms, such as the Islamic Financial Services Board and Bank for International Settlements. He has also championed various efforts to strengthen regional financial integration and cooperation, such as the ASEAN Banking Integration Framework. Previously, he also served as the Alternate Executive Director of the Southeast Asia Voting Group Office of the International Monetary Fund.

Rasheed attended St. John’s Institution in Kuala Lumpur, prior to obtaining his Bachelor of Economics from Universiti Malaya. Rasheed also holds a Masters of Business Administration from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.