nor shamsiah mohd yunus : trust and integrity key principals of malaysia central bank ’ s first governor welcoming remarks by ms nor shamsiah mohd yunus, governor of the central bank of malaysia ( bank negara malaysia ), at the commemoration of the centennial of tun ismail ali ’ s birth, kuala lumpur, 8 october 2018. * * * trust and integrity. these were the key principles of the man who built bank negara malaysia and shaped the nation. some remember him for establishing institutions that form the economic pillars of modern malaysia ; some remember him for his contributions to the nation and the financial system. some may remember him as family, or a good friend. not all had the privilege to meet him, but all remember governor ismail ali as a paragon of trust and integrity. despite being the hands that shaped malaysia ’ s early history, little has been written of governor ismail ali. stories of his discipline, thrift and dedication only passed through word - of - mouth, rarely put to paper. his wisdom and experience, whispered from ear - to - ear, risk being lost to the winds of time. it is my great pleasure to welcome you today. indeed, it is our privilege to have prime minister tun dr. mahathir to grace today ’ s event and tun dr. siti hasmah mohd ali to deliver a special tribute speech. few may know that governor ismail ali is the brother of tun dr siti hasmah and the brother - in - law of our prime minister. we are honoured today to have the presence of tan sri mohamed hashim, dato ’ dr. zainal abidin and hajjah siti jameah, siblings of governor ismail ali, as well as mr. ahmad kamal, governor ismail ali ’ s son. i am also honoured to welcome back to the bank those who have worked alongside governor ismail ali. equally important, we are grateful to have with us the international central banking community, who are travelling to bali for the imf and world bank group annual meetings and have taken time from your busy schedules for this occasion. this indeed underscores the appreciation towards central bank cooperation built on trust and friendship. this book is to honour governor ismail ali as a nation builder ; a titan of the malaysian economic and financial sector. he was an unassuming man but he powered the wheels of the nation – and each turn on the wheel left a mark on history. we have spoken to more than twenty individuals

who were close to governor ismail ali and dedicated hundreds of pages to his life. but, it is certain that we have yet to do justice in capturing the breadth and depth of his persona. governor ismail ali had a far - reaching impact, not only on the country ’ s economic and financial landscape, but also on the personal and professional lives of many. as we were completing this book, we discovered there are others who carried untold stories of him, from here and abroad, each with another brushstroke to add to the portrait of his vision. it is only right that we continue to capture these recollections and stories of governor ismail ali and therefore, the bank will publish a second edition of this book. it is our hope that the vision, dedication and resilience of governor ismail ali would inspire our future generations, be it central bankers or not – and to prepare them as they partake in the dynamic financial ecosystem. this book chronicles, not just who he was and what he did, but also what governor ismail ali stood for and what he envisioned for this country. it is said that there are two things parents should give their children : one are roots, and the other are wings. as the first malaysian governor of bank negara malaysia, governor ismail ali planted the principles that now run deep within the bank and gave us the vision to soar towards. as guardians of the financial system, central bankers must maintain public trust. not only does a 1 / 3 bis central bankers'speeches central bank need to be careful custodians of monetary policy and an able adviser to the government, we need to be seen and recognised as the competent authority to discharge these roles. a central bank needs to engender confidence. governor ismail ali ’ s immutable emphasis on the integrity of the bank ’ s moral compass and the strength of our competency stems from a sense of duty, amanah. fundamental to building and maintaining this trust is the need for every staff of the bank to perform at our utmost and positively shape the bank ’ s reputation in the eyes of the public. in this, governor ismail ali led by example. there are two principles – trust and integrity – which were amongst the key principles that guided governor ismail ali, and with which he formed the pillars of bank negara malaysia. governor ismail ali was strict, sharp, and straightforward. meticulous in his duties, he was respected for his sound knowledge of central banking and rule of law.