This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on November 13, 2019

KUALA LUMPUR: The Institute for Capital Market Research Malaysia (ICMR) has appointed Tan Sri Dr Mohd Munir Abdul Majid (pic) as chairman of its board of directors.

Currently, its board members comprise Foo Lee Mei, Professor Mohamed Ariff Syed Mohamed, Datuk Dr Nik Ramlah Mahmood and Dr Nungsari Ahmad Radhi.

“His (Mohd Munir’s) deep knowledge of both local and regional economic affairs, wide-ranging experience in leading research institutions, and strong Asean-level networks would further strengthen our institute’s capabilities at a crucial time, given the need for Malaysia’s capital market to improve its competitiveness and functioning to navigate the complexities of the evolving global landscape,” ICMR director Datin Azleen Osman Rani said in a statement yesterday.

Mohd Munir started his career in 1978 as a leader writer for The New Straits Times Press (NST), and progressed to become its group editor. He left NST in 1986 to become chief executive officer of Pertanian Baring Sanwa, whose name he changed to Commerce International Merchant Bankers (CIMB). He was invited by the government to establish and become the first and founding executive chairman of the Securities Commission Malaysia in 1993, where he served for two terms until 1999.

He also served as board chairman of companies such as Celcom Malaysia, Malaysian Airline System Bhd, Bank Muamalat Malaysia, CIMB Asean Research Institute, Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia and the Malaysian Chapter of the Asean Business Advisory Council.

In February 2019, Mohd Munir was appointed as a member of the Economic Action Council (EAC), which is chaired by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. The EAC deliberates on decisions affecting the country’s economic and financial matters.

The ICMR named Professor Datuk Dr Rajah Rasiah, a renowned economist and distinguished professor of economics at the Asia-Europe Institute of University of Malaya, as the first distinguished fellow for the institute’s distinguished and visiting fellows programme.

“The programme was established for experts to lend their expertise in areas of research which can benefit the overall capital market development for Malaysia,” said the ICMR.