Had been widely tipped to take over from Muhammad Ibrahim.
Datuk Nor Shamsiah Mohd Yunus has been confirmed as the new governor of Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM).
The former central bank official who investigated the scandal-plagued state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) was deputy governor at BNM for six years until she left in November 2016.
She will replace Tan Sri Muhammad Ibrahim, who stepped down on June 6 after questions were raised about the central bank’s role in a deal linked to 1MDB. Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng had earlier revealed that funds from a land sale made by the government to the central bank for about RM2 billion had been used to pay for 1MDB’s obligation to Abu Dhabi state fund IPIC.
BNM had said the transaction complied with government requirements and that it had handed details of the deal to the anti-graft agency.
Muhammad, a career banker who took over from Zeti Akhtar Aziz in May 2016, was less than halfway through his five-year term when he left.
A spokesman for Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad confirmed Nor Shamsiah’s appointment after it was approved by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.