Abdullah Chan & Co

Banking & Finance; Regulatory & Compliance

Partner. Fields of expertise: Legislative drafting, Islamic finance, Central banking law, Regulatory and Compliance, especially banking and insurance and Islamic banking and takaful. Gopal has extensive experience in Legislative Drafting [Financial Services Act 2013, Islamic Financial Services Act 2013, International Islamic Liquidity Mgmt Corporation Act 2011, Credit Reporting Agencies Act 2010, Data Protection Act 2010, Central Bank of Malaysia Act 2009, Cooperatives Commission of Malaysia Act 2007, Malaysia Deposit Insurance Corporation Act 2005, Payment Systems Act 2003, Development Financial Institutions Act 2002, Islamic Financial Services Board Act 2002, Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001], Resolution of Ailing Financial Institutions including capital reduction and mergers of financial institutions, International Technical Assistance in law reform and establishment of central bank legal departments, Domestic and International Institution Building and Financial Crises Management

Gopal began his highly distinguished career in Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) the Central Bank of Malaysia, in 1982, pursuant to graduating from University of Malaya on a BNM scholarship. He was appointed as Assistant Governor in 2006. As Assistant Governor he was responsible for the Legal Department, Finance Department and the IT Services (Computer) Department as well the Money Museum and the Art Gallery. During his tenure, he was a member of various committees chaired by the Governor, interalia, the Management Committee, the Monetary Policy Committee, the Financial Stability Committee, the Budget Committee, the Risk Management/ Committee and in attendance at the Malaysia International Islamic Financial Centre Executive Committee (MIFC), a multi-agency committee appointed by the Prime Minister. Upon his retirement in 2011, he was appointed as Project Adviser to BNM to advise and supervise the drafting of an omnibus legislation for banking, insurance, payments systems and exchange control as well as an omnibus Islamic legislation for Islamic banking, takaful, payment systems and exchange control which have been passed by the Malaysian Parliament in 2012. These legislations, namely the Financial Services Act 2013 and the Islamic Financial Services Act 2013 came into force on 30 June 2013. Gopal is the only member of the International Monetary Law Committee of the International Law Association (MOCOMILA) from Malaysia. He is also in the Executive Committee of the Malaysian Chapter of ASIL (Asian Society for International Law). Gopal sits on the Board of Directors of Kuwait Finance House (Malaysia) Berhad, the Board of Management of Methodist College Kuala Lumpur, the Council of Education, Methodist Church in Malaysia and is the President of the Judicial Council, Methodist Church in Malaysia. He is a leading adviser on the new Financial Services Act 2013 and Islamic Financial Services Act 2013.

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