Recently, CIMB-UUM Chair Professor and Research Fellow of the Asian Research Institute of Banking & Finance (ARIBF), Prof. Emeritus Dr. Salim Rashid delivered a talk in the ARIBF: Banking And Finance Talk Series program entitled “TPPA: Impact on the Financial Sector of Malaysia” at Seminar Hall, UUM CAS on 20th September 2016. The event was attended by the Dean of School of Economics Finance and Banking (SEFB), Prof. Dr. Yusnidah Ibrahim, the Dean of Othman Yeop Abdullah Graduate School of Business (OYAGSB), Prof. Dr. Zeljko Sevic and Director of ARIBF, Dr. Irwan Shah Zainal Abidin.
The Banking and Finance Talk Series is intended to give exposure to academics and industry players in the banking and finance sector regarding today’s current global economic and financial issues specifically regarding to Malaysia’s economic, finance, and banking scenarios. In his talk, Prof. Emeritus Dr. Salim Rashid analysed TPPA and its impact to the financial sector in Malaysia. Overall, his assessment is that the TPPA, if it is materialised, would be in line with Malaysia’s crucial master plans, such as the Capital Markets Masterplan as well as the Financial Services Masterplan.
In the context of greater development in Malaysia’s financial sector moving forward, he has proposed some interesting ideas. For one, he sees the timely re-enactment of the East-Asian model, once popularized by the World Bank. The other thought provoking idea which he articulated is the introduction of an activist bank, of which, according to him, would initiate and monitor innovative projects to eventually increase Malaysia’s growth rate and the advancement of Malaysia’s financial and banking sector further to greater heights. Will what he suggested be translated into a reality? Will academics and researchers pick up on his ideas? Only time will tell.