##s and prudent monetary policy. so, how does one celebrate the life of a globally respected and celebrated statesman? there is such a rich history to the story of nelson mandela, as told in his own words in his bestselling book long walk to freedom, that the sarb has had to use our full range of banknotes as well as a commemorative r5 circulation coin. the banknotes highlight president mandela ’ s historical journey from the rolling hills of the eastern cape, to soweto, to howick, to robben island, to the union buildings. the page 3 of 4 commemorative r5 circulation coin features a portrait of tata madiba, smiling at the nation he helped to build. nelson mandela ’ s life has touched all of us : south africans from all walks of life, rural and urban. what could be more fitting than to commemorate his life through an instrument that we all use every day? money touches all of us, young and old. tata represents the best version of ourselves as south africans, and there is no more appropriate an occasion than his birthday centenary to honour all that he represents with these commemorative banknotes and r5 circulation coin. when a young girl in mvezo or a pensioner in soweto carry a r10 or r20 note to buy a loaf of bread, they should know that those two banknotes will change hands more often than all the other banknotes in south africa and in some of our neighbouring countries. one banknote touches many lives. by drawing strength from our fellow south africans and identifying those traits which best reflect the madiba in me, we will remind ourselves in the words of nelson mandela that, : “ we are together in this. our human compassion binds us, the one to the other – not in pity or patronisingly, but as human beings who have learnt how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future. ” finally, if you have not already done so, i would really like to encourage you to walk around the exhibit outside, which reflects on the images on the banknotes and coin. i also hope that you will take the time to download the currency mobile app from any of the mainstream app stores and that you will use this app to empower yourself by learning about the interesting facts and details of our banknotes. thank you very much. page 4 of 4

respect of the public. earning this right is difficult, but once this is accomplished “ a central bank would have the strongest guarantee for its independence and effectiveness, far stronger than any formal expression of central banking authority ”. yet, however independent a central bank is from the government, it cannot function in isolation. fiscal and monetary policies are most effective when they are well coordinated. further, in a world increasingly buffeted by protectionism and the risk of financial contagion, central banks 2 / 3 bis central bankers'speeches must cooperate with each other. effective policy making today needs to have a global perspective as the fallout of policy failures often spread rapidly across borders. cooperation at the national, regional and international levels, is necessary. this trust however, forms out of reliability, and reliability stems from competence. it is my firmest belief that the best way for us to honour the late governor ismail ali is to carry on this vision – the vision of a central bank independent, competent and respected. once again, i would like to thank everyone present for joining us in commemorating the centennial of governor ismail ali ’ s birth. in particular, our heartfelt gratitude goes to prime minister, tun dr siti hasmah and family members of governor ismail ali for your support and presence for today ’ s special occasion. i invite distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen to explore the gallery exhibition to honour the life and achievements of this great man, governor ismail ali, our first malaysian central bank governor. 3 / 3 bis central bankers'speeches