Prime Minister of Malaysia
Governor, Bank Negara Malaysia
Shaik Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour is the 10th Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia. He was appointed for a five-year term effective 1 July 2023. In his role as Governor, Rasheed also serves as the chair of the Bank’s Board of Directors, Monetary Policy Committee and Financial Stability Executive Committee.
Rasheed joined the Bank in 1988 and has helmed various positions across the breadth of the Bank’s primary functions. These include monetary policy and economics, international reserves management and financial markets, financial sector development, and banking regulations. In 2016, he assumed the role of Deputy Governor.
Rasheed has also played a leading role in driving the Bank’s advocacy efforts on economic affairs, including in the areas of social protection and labour market reforms. This includes to support and advise the Government on issues relating to the management of the pandemic. He also played key roles in the development and implementation of the Financial Sector Masterplan and Financial Sector Blueprints.
At the international level, Rasheed has served and been a member of various international platforms, such as the Islamic Financial Services Board and Bank for International Settlements. He has also championed various efforts to strengthen regional financial integration and cooperation, such as the ASEAN Banking Integration Framework. Previously, he also served as the Alternate Executive Director of the Southeast Asia Voting Group Office of the International Monetary Fund.
Rasheed attended St. John’s Institution in Kuala Lumpur, prior to obtaining his Bachelor of Economics from Universiti Malaya. Rasheed also holds a Masters of Business Administration from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.
MLC Chairman
Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar is currently the Chairman of the Malaysia International Islamic Finance Centre (MIFC) Leadership Council, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and the Chairman of INCEIF University (The International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance). Between June 2004 and July 2018, he was the Managing Director of Khazanah Nasional Berhad, Malaysia's strategic investment fund with AUM then of ~ USD40bn. Between December 2021 and December 2023, he was the Chairman of Lembaga Tabung Haji Malaysia (Hajj Pilgrims Fund Board with AUM of ~ USD20bn)
Other current affiliations include as a member of the Global Future Council on Investing of the World Economic Forum, the Steering Committee of the Global Ethical Finance Initiative (GEFI), a Development Leadership Dialogue Fellow at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) of the University of London, the Investment Advisory Council of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Advisory Board of the University of Oxford’s Technology & Management Centre for Development, the Advisory Board of the College of Islamic Studies, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar and the board of the international humanitarian relief organization, MERCY Malaysia.
Azman obtained an M.Phil in Development Studies from Darwin College, Cambridge University, as a Chevening scholar, and a Diploma in Islamic Studies from International Islamic University Malaysia. He is also a CFA Charter Holder and a Fellow of the Association of Chartered and Certified Accountants (ACCA). Between 2019 and 2022, Azman was a Bye-Fellow of Darwin College, Cambridge and the Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Centre of Development Studies, University of Cambridge.
Chairman, WWF-Malaysia
Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar is currently the Chairman of Cypark Resources Berhad (Malaysia’s leading renewable energy company) and Senior Independent Director of IOI Corporation Berhad (Malaysia’s leading, globally integrated and sustainable palm oil company). He was formerly the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Economic Planning and immediate past Chairman of Bursa Malaysia Berhad.
He is regarded as one of the most accomplished corporate leaders in Malaysia having successfully led as CEO three major organisations in infrastructure development (UEM Group 2001 - 2004), telecommunications (Telekom Malaysia 2004 - 2008) and financial services (Maybank 2008 - 2013). He served as Group Chairman of Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), Malaysia's largest fund management company, from August 2016 to June 2018 following completion of his term as a Senator and Minister from June 2013 to June 2016. Prior to his cabinet appointment, Tan Sri Abdul Wahid was the President and CEO of Maybank, Malaysia’s largest public listed company and one of the leading banking groups in Southeast Asia. He was credited with transforming Maybank into a regional banking group and a global leader in Islamic finance.
He also currently serves as the Chairman of WWF-Malaysia and MySDG Foundation, Pro-Chancellor of Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), Professor of Practice at INCEIF University and as the Sultan bin Abdulaziz Visiting Fellow at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies. Tan Sri Abdul Wahid is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW) and the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA). Tan Sri Abdul Wahid has received numerous awards throughout his career. These include Malaysia's CEO of the Year 2006 award from Business Times/American Express, The Asian Banker's 2013 Leadership Achievement Award for Malaysia and The Edge Value Creator: Outstanding CEO of Malaysia award 2013. Most recently in April 2025, he received the Saleh Kamel Islamic Economics Award from HRH the Governor of Madinah in recognition of his contribution to the advancement of Islamic banking.
President, AIBIM
Dato’ Mohd Muazzam Mohamed currently serves as the Group Chief Executive Officer of Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad (Bank Islam). He joined Bank Islam on 11 May 2015 as Chief Financial Officer before being appointed to his current position on 5 December 2018. Prior to his tenure at Bank Islam, he held prominent roles as a Partner with KPMG Malaysia and Executive Director with KPMG Management Consulting. Dato’ Mohd Muazzam is a Chartered Accountant with the Malaysian Institute of Accountants, a Council Member of The Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and a Chartered Islamic Finance Professional of the Chartered Institute of Islamic Finance Professionals.
Dato’ Mohd Muazzam is a key figure in advancing Islamic finance in Malaysia. His leadership as the President of the Association of Islamic Banking and Financial Institutions Malaysia (AIBIM) is backed by his extensive knowledge and over 25 years of experience in Islamic finance, accounting, and consulting.
Dato’ Mohd Muazzam holds a Bachelor of Accounting from the International Islamic University Malaysia. He is also an Advanced Management & Leadership Programme graduate from the University of Oxford’s Said Business School.
CEO, Fajr Capital
Dato Paduka Iqbal Khan is a Founding Board Member and Chief Executive Officer of Fajr Capital, an Islamic investment firm focused on the Middle East and Southeast Asia. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Cravia Group, Jadwa Investment and MENA Infrastructure.
Prior to Fajr Capital, Dato Paduka Iqbal was the founding CEO of HSBC Amanah, where he built the business and team over eight years into one of the fastest growing and most successful emerging businesses in the HSBC Group. He was simultaneously a member of the Board of Directors of HSBC Bank Middle East, The Saudi British Bank, and HSBC Investment Bank (Saudi Arabia).
Dato Paduka Iqbal has played a prominent role in developing and promoting Islamic finance and investment on the international stage, serving as an advisor to government initiatives in Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom. He is currently a Member of the Global Development Council at Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for International Development.
Dato Paduka Iqbal holds a bachelor’s degree in physics and chemistry and a master’s degree in political science and international Relations, both from Aligarh Muslim University. He is also the recipient of several industry and global accolades, including:
Islamic Economist and Shariah Scholar
Chairman, SAC Bank Negara Malaysia
Dato’ Prof. Dr. Ashraf Md Hashim is an internationally respected Shariah advisors and professor at INCEIF University, Malaysia. He serves as Chairman of the Shariah Advisory Councils of Bank Negara Malaysia, Bursa Malaysia, and Tabung Haji, and sits on boards of major institutions, among others, the Securities Commision, EPF, and PNB.
Internationally, he is a Shariah board member for financial institutions in the UAE, Nigeria, and the Philippines, and advises investment funds in Saudi Arabia and Singapore.
Dr. Ashraf has contributed to the development of Islamic finance regulations in Tajikistan, Algeria, and Afghanistan. He is also a member of the National Fatwa Council of Malaysia (Muzakarah MKI). He previously held academic leadership roles at INCEIF, ISRA, and the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).
He holds a PhD in Islamic Law from the University of Birmingham, along with degrees from the University of Jordan, Islamic University of Madinah, and IIUM. His work bridges academia, industry, and global regulatory bodies in Islamic finance.