Gopal Sundaram

Gopal

 

PARTNER
Direct Line : +603-2300 0621
Email : gopal@abdullahchan.my

Gopal began his highly distinguished career in Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) the Central Bank of Malaysia, in 1982, after graduating from University of Malaya where he studied under a BNM scholarship. He was appointed Assistant Governor in 2006. The Legal Department, the Finance Department, the IT Services (Computer) Department as well the Money Museum and the Art Gallery reported to him. As Assistant Governor, he was a member of various committees chaired by the Governor, inter alia, the Management Committee, the Monetary Policy Committee, the Financial Stability Committee, the Budget Committee, the Risk Management/ Committee and was in attendance at the Malaysia International Islamic Financial Centre Executive Committee (MIFC), a multi-agency committee appointed by the Prime Minister and chaired by the Governor.

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. These legislation, namely the Financial Services Act 2013 and the Islamic Financial Services Act 2013, were passed by the Malaysian Parliament in 2012 and 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 member of the Panel of Experts of P.R.I.M.E. Finance, Peace Palace, The Hague. Gopal was on the Board of Directors of Kuwait Finance House (Malaysia) Berhad (where he chaired the Board Risk Management Committee) from 2012 – 10 June 2016. He is presently an independent non-executive director of Tenaga Nasional Berhad (where he chairs the Board Integrity Committee), the Board of Management of Methodist College Kuala Lumpur (MCKL), the Council of Education, Methodist Church in Malaysia and is the President of the Judicial Council, Methodist Church in Malaysia.

Currently he is the International Regulatory Expert for the Asian Development Bank from August 2018 for a project on Islamic Finance for Inclusive Growth in the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Tajikistan. He has also been a Short Term Consultant for the World Bank from March 2018 – June 2018 for a project relating to the regulation of state owned banks in Sri Lanka and an Independent International Consultant from August 2017 – 30 June 2018 for a World Bank Sri Lanka Financial Sector Modernization Project relating to the  Strengthening the Legal and Regulatory Framework of the Sri Lankan Financial System.

In Abdullah Chan, Gopal has been the engagement partner for insurance and reinsurance regulatory and compliance files, and matters relating to money services businesses in particular remittance business, licences and platforms, electronic wallets licences and compliance, foreign exchange administration, company law matters especially on foundations in the legal form of companies limited by guarantee and corporate governance for international Islamic financial organisations.

He is a leading adviser on the Financial Services Act 2013 and Islamic Financial Services Act 2013.

Practice Areas:-

Regulatory and Compliance, especially banking and insurance, Islamic banking and takaful and money services businesses

Islamic finance

Legislative drafting

Central banking law

Experience

1.Legislative Drafting:

  • Financial Services Act 2013 (FSA)
  • Islamic Financial Services Act 2013 (IFSA)
  • International Islamic Liquidity Management 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 (now Malaysia Deposit Insurance Corporation Act 2011)
  • Payment Systems Act 2003 (now subsumed under the FSA/IFSA)
  • Development Financial Institutions Act 2002
  • Islamic Financial Services Board Act 2002
  • Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001 (now Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001)

2.Resolution of Ailing Financial Institutions including capital reduction and mergers of financial institutions

3.International Technical Assistance in law reform and establishment of central bank legal departments

4.Domestic and International Institution Building

5.Financial Crises Management