to our currency like issuance of a new commemorative coin. protecting our currency against being forged is critical but protecting it against being stolen is also as important. in the last few years, our atms have been the frequent target of criminals that has impacted the general public perception on the security of the banking industry ’ s atms. many defective and preventive measures have been taken by financial institutions to protect the safety of atms such as relocating the atms to a safer location, strengthening the atm security panel, installing bollards or even replacing obsolete atms. we are appreciative of the police who have played a significant role in improving the atms ’ security. bank negara and financial institutions will always stand ready to assist the police in ensuring the security of our atms. we are very pleased to note collaboration by all parties in particular the financial industry has brought positive result with the declined number of atm robberies being reported last year compared to 2013. i am also very pleased to note the industry continues to collaborate to enhance atms ’ security. today, marks another significant milestone in our payment system progression with the launching of an ink staining technology for our atms. atms fitted with this technology are protected by a security device containing a special ink that will smear the currency note. when there is an attempt to temper the protected atm, the security device will be triggered to release the ink, staining the currency notes on all corners. this ink is indelible and can be traceable to a particular financial institution that dispensed the currency notes ; thus it can assist the police more effectively in their course of investigation. more importantly stained currency notes will lose their legal tender. stained currency notes are valueless to the criminals but the owner of the currency notes ( the financial institutions ) can exchange the currency notes with the central bank. these stained currency notes cannot be brought back to circulation as they are not a legal tender anymore. to make the initiative effective and our atms safe, members of the public also have a civic duty to play. they must be vigilant when receiving stained currency notes, which most likely are stolen currency notes. under section 24 ( 1 ) read together with section 25 of the central bank of malaysia act 1958 ( part iii of this act is still in force ), such defaced or stained currency notes are no longer legal tender and therefore should be rejected by members of the public. bank negara has issued a clear guideline

but it is especially important in periods of economic stress, because it reminds bankers that the identification of a troubled borrower does not prohibit a banker from working with the borrower. many banks engaged in agricultural lending are located in communities where farming is the primary economic driver, and simply pushing every borrower with challenges out of the bank does not benefit the long - term interests of the bank or the community it serves. the federal reserve recognizes the benefits when lenders work prudently with troubled borrowers in a way that serves the long - term interests of all stakeholders. i would like to conclude by recognizing how fortunate we are to have so many highly skilled and experienced farmers and operators, and agricultural lenders who support them. modern agriculture is a sophisticated and complex business that requires skilled forecasting of supply and demand, rigorous financial and operational management, and sharp technical expertise. our farmers and operators are pushing forward the frontiers of agriculture. the integration of robotics, data analytics, geolocation, and advanced sensors holds the promise of a new, more efficient and productive era of “ precision agriculture. " a close working relationship between farmers and agricultural lenders is essential to the economic growth of agricultural borrowers and the continued success of many rural communities. the outlook for u. s. agriculture is challenging, though agricultural banks remain relatively stable. as such, it is important for the federal reserve to continue to tailor effective supervision and regulation to ensure the safety and soundness of agricultural banks, while also making sure that undue burden does not constrain the capacity of these institutions to continue supporting the agricultural communities that they serve. 1 terrorism risk insurance program reauthorization act of 2015 ( pub. l. 114 – 1, 129 stat. 3 ). 2 see u. s department of agriculture, economic research service at www. ers. usda. gov / data - products / ag - and - food - statistics - charting - the - essentials / ag - and - food - sectors - and - the - economy /. 3 jerome h. powell, “ monetary policy in a changing economy ” ( speech at changing market structure and implications for monetary policy, a symposium sponsored by the federal reserve bank of kansas city, jackson hole, wyoming, august 24, 2018 ). 4 u. s. department of agriculture, economic research service, “ highlights from the march 2019 farm income forecast. ” 5 cortney cowley and ty kreitman, “ farmland values stable, but risks to