Women are, undoubtedly, the pillar of success behind every man and the strength behind every flourishing family. Asians have never forgotten the grand days of their matriarchal society that has shaped kingdoms and governments as we know them today. They have been with us as mothers, sisters, friends, aunts, teachers, nurses and from stall owners selling packets of ‘nasi lemak’ to heads of large organizations implementing policies that can change the direction of an entire nation. In saluting these outstanding women of Malaysia, Top of 10 Malaysia is honored to present the Top 10 Most Inspiring Women of Malaysia. This is in recognition of their achievements that have come as a result of their tenacity, competence and courage.
Zeti Akhtar Aziz (Tan Sri Dr)
Topping the list is Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz, governor of Malaysian Central Bank (BNM). She recently made headlines when a renowned Bloomberg columnist, William Pesek named her as a candidate for the post of IMF president following the resignation of the former president recently.
The 63-year-old Tan Sri Dr Zeti Aziz is the first woman to be appointed as central bank governor in Malaysia and Asia, and the first woman to be within the top ten rankings for central bank governors of the world. She recently extended her contract with Bank Negara Malaysia for another five years, making her the second longest serving governor of BNM.
Her determination to take the Malaysian economy out of the doldrums during the Asian financial crisis was clearly evident when she took over the reins at BNM in 1998. Despite the numerous criticisms and pressures from many quarters, including the IMF, she went ahead to peg the Malaysia ringgit against the US dollar and banned offshore trading of the Malaysian currency. These unconventional and drastic measures finally paid off in 2005 when foreign exchange rules were relaxed and the Malaysian ringgit began to rise against the US dollar.
One of her