19 Sep 2012
Ucapan
YBhg Datuk Ranjit Ajit Singh
Pengerusi, Suruhanjaya Sekuriti Malaysia
di Majlis Makan Malam Anugerah Kewangan Islam Tahun 2012
Rabu, 19 September 2012
Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur
Opening salutation
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.
Ampun Tuanku.
Patik serta seluruh dif-dif jemputan pada malam ini, dengan penuh hormat dan takzimnya, merafak sembah, menjunjung kasih yang tidak terhingga, di atas perkenan Seri Paduka Baginda Tuanku Berdua, berangkat mencemar duli, ke Majlis Makan Malam Anugerah Kewangan Islam, Tahun dua ribu dua belas (2012), yang bersejarah ini.
Sesungguhnya, keberangkatan Seri Paduka Baginda Tuanku Berdua ke Majlis pada malam ini, sebenarnya, telah melakarkan satu sejarah, yang amat bermakna, kepada patik-patik sekalian dan telah menambahkan lagi seri, serta akan meninggalkan, kenangan yang tidak akan dilupakan.
Patik mendoakan, semoga Seri Paduka Baginda Tuanku Berdua, sentiasa berada, di dalam pemeliharaan Tuhan, dengan penuh kemuliaan dan kebesarannya.
Ampun Tuanku.
Patik mohon limpah perkenan, serta keizinan, Seri Paduka Baginda Tuanku, untuk menyampaikan sepatah dua kata, kepada seluruh tetamu, yang turut hadir menyerikan Majlis pada malam ini, dalam Bahasa Inggeris.
Ampun Tuanku.
His Excellency Mr Ali Babacan, the Honourable Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey,
Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun Musa Hitam, former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Chairman of the Jury for the Royal Award for Islamic Finance;
Yang Berhormat Senator Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussein, Deputy Finance Minister, Malaysia
Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz, Governor, Bank Negara Malaysia;
Your Excellencies;
Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun;
Distinguished Guests, Ladies & Gentlemen.
Introduction
On behalf of the organisers, Bank Negara Malaysia and the Securities Commission Malaysia, as joint organizers and hosts of The Royal Award for Islamic Finance, I would like to welcome you, our distinguished guests to this Gala Dinner and Award Ceremony. We are honoured and delighted to see so many luminaries and proponents of Islamic Finance here with us this evening as well as a large number of foreign guests from so many different parts of the world. Your presence this evening reflects not only the significance of this prestigious Royal Award but also the universality and diversity of Islamic finance today.
Honoured guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Islamic Finance today has certainly established itself as an increasingly important segment of the global financial system with an impressive growth record over the past decade and a half. Its growth numbers by all accounts have been remarkable, and is a recognition of the growing significance and scale of Islamic Finance today. It continues to strengthen its foothold in the international financial landscape as manifested not only by its significant growth in terms of market size, but also by its geographical reach and product diversity.
The extensive and active cross-border offering of Islamic Finance products and services is being spurred by among others greater international trade and investment flows and the growing affluence and sophistication of investors and industry participants embracing Islamic Finance. Islamic Finance is present in the major financial centres and the increasing participation of global financial institutions bears testimony to the significance and diversity of Islamic Finance in today’s world of modern finance.
The increasing internationalisation of Islamic Finance needs to be complemented with an enabling and conducive environment that will allow Islamic Finance to flourish. In widening its acceptability, adoption and application across the world, continued efforts need to be focused on among others, product innovation and developmental efforts relating to Shariah legal, regulatory and governance frameworks.
Recognising the importance for these discussions to take place, the Securities Commission Malaysia hosted and co-organised a high-level Roundtable yesterday between two leading global standard-setters, the Islamic Financial Services Board and the International Organisation of Securities Commissions, which represents more than 95% of the world’s securities markets in over 100 jurisdictions The collaboration further underscores the importance of Islamic Finance within the global regulatory landscape and reinforces the need to look at cross-jurisdictional issues in achieving the depth and scale required to make Islamic Finance even more competitive and enhancing its appeal within global financial markets.
Honoured guests, ladies and gentlemen,
All the many efforts on Islamic Finance would not have been possible without the outstanding contributions of eminent individuals, some of whom are in this ballroom today. They have been instrumental in providing the thought leadership, body of knowledge and foresight which have created the pathway for Islamic Finance to develop and thrive to its current position in the world of finance.
It is primarily for this reason that the Royal Award for Islamic Finance was conceived, with a view to introducing a prestigious, non-commercially driven and non-deal based award honouring outstanding individuals in the field of Islamic Finance globally.
The selection of the award recipient was done by an international and independent jury comprising seven eminent personalities in the Islamic Finance space and is chaired by Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun Musa Hitam, Chairman of the World Islamic Economic Forum Foundation and former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia. The other Jury members are:
- Dr Mohamed Ali Elgari, Professor of Islamic Economics, King Abdul Aziz University, Saudi Arabia;
- Professor Dr Volker Nienhaus, a member of the Governing Council of the International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF) and former President of the University of Marburg, Germany;
- Dr Abbas Mirakhor, first holder of the INCEIF chair in Islamic Finance and a former Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF);
- Bapak Riawan Amin, Honourary Chairman of the Indonesian Association of Islamic Banks, and former CEO of Bank Muamalat Indonesia;
- Dr Yahia Abdul Rahman, Chairman and Founder, American Finance House LARIBA, and Chairman & CEO, Bank of Whittier, California, USA; and
- Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad, member of the Shariah Advisory Council of Bank Negara Malaysia and the Securities Commission Malaysia and a former Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Malaysia.
At this juncture please allow me, on behalf of both Bank Negara Malaysia and the Securities Commission Malaysia, to express my deepest appreciation to the Jury members for their contributions, dedication and extensive deliberations in the selection process of the Royal Award for Islamic Finance.
Following its deliberations, the Jury has selected an outstanding individual who has played a leadership role and contributed significantly towards the development of Islamic Finance globally. I will leave the announcement of the eminent recipient to Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun Musa Hitam. I would however like to take the opportunity to congratulate the recipient of the Royal Award on this achievement, and I have no doubt that the individual will continue to play a significant role in promoting and profiling Islamic Finance globally.
Concluding remarks
Your Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies & Gentlemen
In conclusion, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation once again to all our distinguished guests for honouring us with your presence here tonight. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the Royal Award Secretariat team from Bank Negara Malaysia and the Securities Commission Malaysia who have worked tirelessly to make this Gala Dinner and Award Ceremony a success.
Thank you.
Closing salutation
Ampun Tuanku beribu-ribu Ampun, sembah patik mohon diampun.
Sekian sahajalah persembahan ucapan daripada patik, dan sekali lagi patik dengan penuh hormat dan takzimnya, merafak sembah menjunjung kasih yang tidak terhingga di atas perkenan Seri Paduka Baginda, Tuanku Berdua berangkat mencemar duli ke Majlis pada malam ini.
Semoga Tuhan memelihara dan melanjutkan usia Seri Paduka Baginda Tuanku, serta Seri Paduka Baginda Raja Permasuri Agong, dalam keadaan sihat wal’afiat, bersemayam di atas tahkta persekutuan, dengan sepenuh kemuliaannya.
Ampun Tuanku.
