KINIBIZ What does it take to be a central bank governor? Since Bank Negara Malaysia’s inception in 1959, the central bank has had seven governors. Zeti Akhtar Aziz has been Malaysia’s central bank governor since May 2000 and now that the end of her term as governor is nearing, speculations have inevitably emerged on who will replace her.

Tiger has nothing against speculation by the media (being the gossip-loving Tiger she is), but she would like to remind the speculators and rumour-mongers that the bottom line is that the new governor needs to fill some very big shoes.

Hence, it is imperative that Zeti’s replacement possesses the ideal combination of ethics and expertise that Zeti has been known and respected for. (And no, cloning Zeti is not an option).

Jokes aside, Tiger believes there are two ways the ideal candidate can ascend the coveted central bank ‘throne’. One way is for the central bank to promote from within, and Zeti has said that there is already a succession plan in place.

There are pros and cons to this type of appointment, however. One advantage is that the person being groomed will know the ins and outs of the job by virtue of being groomed by Zeti and will likely share her values. The disadvantage of promoting someone from within, however, is that the person may be highly insular and lack the exposure Zeti has had outside of the central bank.

A promotion from within is exactly how Zeti came to be governor and some of her predecessors have also been promoted from within the ranks of the central bank.

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This article was written by G Sharmila.