Zeti Akhtar Aziz
Ungku Zeti Akhtar Aziz | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 27, 1947 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia |
| Occupation(s) | Economist, Central Banker |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Known for | 7th Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia (2000–2016), Member of the Council of Eminent Persons (2018) |
Ungku Zeti Akhtar binti Ungku Abdul Aziz (born 27 August 1947) held the role of the 7th Governor at Bank Negara Malaysia from 2000 until 2016. She was not only the first female to assume this office but also the longest-serving governor, with a tenure spanning sixteen years. Additionally, Zeti played a pivotal role as a member of the Council of Eminent Persons (CEP) during the second term of Mahathir Mohamad’s administration, offering key economic and financial guidance during a crucial period of governmental transition.
Early life
Born in Johor Bahru, Johor on 26 August 1947, Zeti Akhtar Aziz is the daughter of Ungku Aziz, an economist and former vice-chancellor of the University of Malaya, and Sharifah Azah Mohamed Alsagoff. Her paternal lineage includes Malay, Circassian, and English ancestry, while her mother’s heritage encompasses Hadhrami Arab and Malay origins.
She received her primary education at Assunta School in Petaling Jaya and completed Form 6 studies at St. John's Institution, Kuala Lumpur. In 1970, she graduated with a bachelor's degree in Economics from University Malaya. Later, in 1978, she earned a doctorate specializing in monetary and international economics from the University of Pennsylvania, concentrating on capital movements and their effects on monetary policies.
Career
Zeti commenced her professional journey as an economic analyst at the South-East Asia Central Bank Training & Research Center between 1979 and 1984. Subsequently, she advanced to the position of Deputy Manager within the Economics Department at Bank Negara Malaysia.
Her global recognition includes being named among the top central bank governors worldwide by Global Finance magazine in 2009. By 2013, she had achieved a tenth consecutive “Grade A” rating among central bank leaders. In 2016, she was honored with Central Banking’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Zeti’s contributions to Islamic finance were acknowledged through The Royal Award for Islamic Finance in 2018. That same year, she was also bestowed with the William “Bill” Seidman Award for Lifetime Achievement in Financial Services Leadership.
After Malaysia’s general election in 2018, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad appointed her to the Council of Eminent Persons, where she provided counsel on economic and financial issues throughout the government’s transitional phase.
On 1 July 2018, Zeti assumed the role of Group Chairman at Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) and was also named Chairman of Sime Darby Property, marking her as the first female to lead that company.
Personal life
Zeti is married to Tawfiq Ayman and they have two children together.
Honours of Malaysia
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- Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (PSM) – Tan Sri (2001)
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- Knight Commander of the Order of the Crown of Johor (DPMJ) – Datin Paduka (1998)
- Second Class recipient of the Royal Family Order of Johor (DK II) (2000)
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- Grand Knight of the Order of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang (SSAP) – Dato' Sri (2002)
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- Grand Knight of the Order of the Territorial Crown (SUMW) – Datuk Seri Utama (2009)
International Distinction
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- Awarded the Gold and Silver Star of the Order of the Rising Sun in 2017