14 Nov 2016
BISMILLAHHIRAHMANIRRAHIM.
ASSALAMUALAIKUM WARAHMATULLAHI WABARAKATUH DAN SALAM SEJAHTERA.
MENGADAP SERI PADUKA BAGINDA YANG DI-PERTUAN AGONG, ALMU’TASIMU BILLAHI MUHIBBUDDIN, TUANKU AL’HAJ ABDUL HALIM MU’ADZAM SHAH IBNI ALMARHUM SULTAN BADLISHAH
MENGADAP SERI PADUKA BAGINDA RAJA PERMAISURI AGONG TUANKU HAJJAH HAMINAH.
MENGADAP DULI YANG MAHA MULIA PADUKA SERI SULTAN PERAK DARUL RIDZUAN, SULTAN NAZRIN MUIZZUDDIN SHAH IBNI ALMARHUM SULTAN AZLAN MUHIBBUDDIN SHAH AL MAGHFUR-LAH DAN DULI YANG MAHA MULIA, RAJA PERMAISURI PERAK DARUL RIDZUAN, TUANKU ZARA SALIM.
AMPUN TUANKU.
TERLEBIH DAHULU PATIK INGIN MENGAMBIL KESEMPATAN INI UNTUK MENYEMBAHKAN UCAPAN SETINGGI-TINGGI JUNJUNGAN KASIH KEPADA SERI PADUKA BAGINDA TUANKU DAN SERI PADUKA BAGINDA RAJA PERMAISURI AGONG KERANA BERKENAN MENCEMAR DULI, BERANGKAT KE MAJLIS SANTAPAN PADA MALAM INI.
SESUNGGUHNYA KEBERANGKATAN SERI PADUKA BAGINDA TUANKU BERDUA, TELAH MENGUKIR SATU SEJARAH YANG AMAT BERMAKNA KEPADA PATIK-PATIK SEKALIAN DAN TELAH MENAMBAHKAN LAGI SERI, SERTA MENINGGALKAN KENANGAN YANG TIDAK AKAN DILUPAKAN.
PATIK JUGA INGIN MERAKAMKAN UCAPAN SETINGGI-TINGGI JUNJUNGAN KASIH KEPADA DULI YANG MAHA MULIA PADUKA SERI SULTAN PERAK DARUL RIDZUAN, SULTAN NAZRIN MUIZZUDDIN SHAH IBNI ALMARHUM SULTAN AZLAN MUHIBBUDDIN SHAH AL MAGHFUR-LAH DAN DULI YANG MAHA MULIA, RAJA PERMAISURI PERAK DARUL RIDZUAN, TUANKU ZARA SALIM KERANA TELAH BERKENAN
BERCEMAR DULI BERANGKAT HADIR KE MAJLIS YANG CUKUP BERMAKNA PADA MALAM INI.
PATIK MENDOAKAN SEMOGA SERI PADUKA BAGINDA TUANKU BERDUA DAN DULI-DULI TUANKU SENTIASA BERADA DI DALAM PEMELIHARAAN ALLAH S.W.T. DENGAN PENUH KEMULIAAN DAN KEBESARANNYA.
AMIN YA RABBAL ALAMIN.
PATIK MOHON LIMPAH PERKENAN TUANKU, BAGI PATIK MENYAMPAIKAN SEPATAH DUA KATA KEPADA PARA TETAMU, DALAM BAHASA INGGERIS.
AMPUN TUANKU.
YANG BERBAHAGIA DATUK MUHAMMAD IBRAHIM, GOVERNOR CENTRAL BANK OF MALAYSIA;
YANG BERBAHAGIA TAN SRI DATO’ SERI RANJIT AJIT SINGH, CHAIRMAN SECURITIES COMMISSION MALAYSIA;
YOUR EXCELLENCIES;
YANG AMAT BERBAHAGIA TUN-TUN;
AND DISTINGUISHED GUESTS ALL.
I AM DEEPLY HONOURED AND PRIVILEGED TO STAND BEFORE YOU TONIGHT, AS I DID IN THE PREVIOUS 3 CYCLES – 2010, 2012 and 2014, AS A CHAIR OF THE JURY TO THIS ROYAL AWARD FOR ISLAMIC FINANCE.
MY FIRST ROLE IS TO RECORD OUR THANKS AND APPRECIATION FOR MAKING TONIGHT’S EVENT THE SUCCESS AS IT APPARENTLY IS.
- A COMMENDATION IS HIGHLY DESERVED TO BANK NEGARA MALAYSIA AND SECURITIES COMMISSION MALAYSIA FOR SPEARHEADING THIS ROYAL AWARD INITIATIVE.
- SPECIAL THANKS ARE DUE TO THE STEERING COMMITTEE FOR GIVING US THEIR SUPPORT AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, THEIR FULL
IMPARTIALITY IN THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS.
- I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR HEARTFELT APPRECIATION TO THE SECRETARIAT TEAM FOR THEIR TECHNICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.
- AS CHAIR OF THE JURY, I SHOULD NOT OF COURSE FORGET TO EXPRESS MY MOST SINCERE APPRECIATION TO MY FELLOW JURORS FOR THEIR EMINENT CONTRIBUTIONS DURING THE WHOLE COURSE OF THE SELECTION PROCESS.
- AND FINALLY, LET ME THANK YOU ALL PRESENT HERE TONIGHT, FOR YOUR
PRESENCE TO MAKE THIS ROYAL AWARD NIGHT SUCH A MEMORABLE OCCASION!
LET ME NOW PERFORM MY SECOND ROLE, WHICH IS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE EVENING…
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN;
WHEN THE CALL-FOR-NOMINATION FOR THE ROYAL AWARD CLOSED ON 14 DECEMBER 2015, WE RECEIVED 24 NOMINATIONS COMPRISING PLAYERS FROM WITHIN THE ISLAMIC FINANCE INDUSTRY AND FROM VARIOUS BACKGROUNDS, GENDER AND RELIGION.
THIS IS A VERY POSITIVE REFLECTION OF THE DIVERSITY OF STAKEHOLDER GROUPS IN ISLAMIC FINANCE. IT IS ALSO INTERESTING TO
NOTE THAT NOMINATIONS CAME FROM THE MIDDLE EAST, EUROPE, AFRICA, NORTH AMERICA AND THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION – WHICH, AGAIN, IS A CLEAR REFLECTION OF THE GLOBAL REACH AND ACCEPTANCE OF ISLAMIC FINANCE TODAY.
THE SELECTION CRITERIA FOR THE ROYAL AWARD ENCOMPASSES BOTH QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE ASPECTS, WHICH ASSESSES THE CANDIDATES’ CONTRIBUTION AND REACH IN THE GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT OF ISLAMIC FINANCE. THE JURY CONSIDERED FINANCIAL INNOVATION AND PIONEERING WORK, ADOPTION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS WITHIN THE INDUSTRY, EXCEPTIONAL LEADERSHIP, INSPIRATION AND INFLUENCE TOWARDS FUTURE PROGRESS AND DEVELOPMENT.
WITH THIS IN MIND, IT IS MY GREAT PLEASURE TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE WINNER OF THE FOURTH ROYAL AWARD FOR ISLAMIC FINANCE IS…
PROFESSOR DATUK RIFAAT AHMED ABDEL KARIM.
PROFESSOR DATUK RIFAAT ENJOYS AN INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION AS A LEADER AND A RESPECTED AUTHORITY IN THE ISLAMIC FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY AT BOTH THE PROFESSIONAL AND ACADEMIC SECTORS. HE HAS PIONEERED THE DEVELOPMENT OF ISLAMIC FINANCE FOR THE LAST SEVERAL DECADES.
PROFESSOR DATUK RIFAAT’S LEADERSHIP IN THE FORMATION OF GOVERNANCE, REGULATORY AND SHARIAH STANDARDS, AS WELL AS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF INNOVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS TO FACILITATE LIQUIDITY MANAGEMENT FOR ISLAMIC FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN STRENGTHENING THE POSITION OF THE ISLAMIC FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY WITHIN THE BROADER GLOBAL ECONOMY.
AMONG THE INNOVATIONS THAT HE HAD CONTRIBUTED INCLUDE CONCEPTUALIZING THE IDEA OF THE SETTING UP OF AN INTERNATIONAL STANDARD-SETTING BODY TO REGULATE THE ISLAMIC FINANCE INDUSTRY BY
ISSUING STANDARDS AND PRONOUNCEMENTS. THIS BODY COMPRISES REGULATORY AND SUPERVISORY AGENCIES THAT HAVE VESTED INTERESTS IN ENSURING THE SOUNDNESS AND STABILITY OF THE INDUSTRY; INDEED A PIONEERING IDEA OF HAVING A ‘BANK OF INTERNATIONAL SETTLEMENTS-TYPE INSTITUTION FOR THE ISLAMIC FINANCE INDUSTRY.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN;
BEFORE I CONCLUDE, LET ME REITERATE THAT THE JURY HAD OBSERVED A MOST DILIGENT AND OBJECTIVE SELECTION PROCESS. TONIGHT’S AWARD REAFFIRMS PROFESSOR DATUK RIFAAT’S CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS THE DEVELOPMENT OF ISLAMIC FINANCE. I HAVE
NO DOUBT THAT HE WILL SERVE AS AN INSPIRATION FOR THE NEXT GENERATIONS TO COME.
CONGRATULATION, PROFESSOR DATUK RIFAAT AHMED ABDEL KARIM!
AMPUN TUANKU.
SEKIAN SAHAJALAH PERSEMBAHAN UCAPAN PATIK. SEKALI LAGI PATIK DENGAN PENUH HORMAT DAN TAKZIM, MERAFAK SEMBAH MENJUNJUNG KASIH YANG TIDAK TERHINGGA, DI ATAS PERKENAN SERI PADUKA BAGINDA TUANKU BERDUA DAN DULI-DULI TUANKU
BERANGKAT MENCEMAR DULI KE MAJLIS PADA MALAM INI.
SEKIAN, WABILLAHITAUFIK WALHIDAYAH WASSALAMUALAIKUM WARAHMATULLAHI WABARAKATU.
AMPUN TUANKU.
