Palace says only one name nominated for Bank Negara governor

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah, consented to only one name that was nominated for the post of Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), said Istana Negara.

"It is notified that there was no other name apart from the nominee that had been presented to His Majesty for consent," said Datuk Wira Awang Kecik Abdul Rahman, the Datuk Pengelola Bijaya Diraja of Istana Negara,  in a statement, here Thursday.

"For the purpose that was stated, His Majesty had consented to give his signature for the appointment on Tuesday, April 26 2016," he said.

As such, he said, the allegation that there was a "U-Turn" in the appointment of the post was totally not true.

The statement from Istana Negara refuted foreign media reports on the a U-Turn in the appointment of Datuk Muhammad Ibrahim as the successor to Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akthar Aziz, 68, who retires as the Governor of Bank Negara on Saturday.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Wednesday announced that Muhammad was appointed as Bank Negara Governor for a five-year term beginning May 1, 2016.

Najib said Muhammad's appointment had received the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.