KUALA LUMPUR: Financial stability cannot be left to chance with global uncertainty rising.
Perbadanan Insurans Deposit Malaysia (PIDM) Chief Executive Officer Rafiz Azuan Abdullah said resilience must therefore be cultivated well before a crisis strikes.
“Predictability is in short supply.
Deregulation, geopolitical tensions, and digital disruptions are testing the foundations of financial stability. “In an interconnected system, the failure of one can ripple across many.
Credible resolution strategies are no longer optional, they are essential,’ he said.
He made these remarks at the launching of the National Resolution Symposium 2025 held at Connexion Conference & Event Centre here yesterday.
Carrying the theme ‘Precaution over Reaction: Harvesting Readiness in an Uncertain World’, Rafiz said the symposium was a reminder that strength comes from unity, purpose and preparedness.
“For PIDM and our partners, it means being ready not just in crises, but long before it,” he added.
He cited the International Monetary Fund’s April warning that uncertainty threatens global financial stability. Early investment in robust systems, clear strategies and trusted partnerships, he said, would help reduce both the cost and the chaos of institutional failures.
“Like a harvest, resilience isn’t grown in the storm. It must be planted, cultivated, and nurtured long before the clouds gather,” he noted. On PIDM’s 20th anniversary, Rafiz reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to safeguarding financial stability and protecting the public.
Preparedness, he stressed, also means ensuring institutions are resolvable, allowing swift and decisive action when needed.
Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, he added, is a timely opportunity to strengthen crossborder cooperation, especially as financial institutions operate across jurisdictions, capital flows accelerate and digital finance blurs traditional boundaries.
“This symposium is more than an exchange of tools and plans. It is a platform to challenge assumptions, build understanding, and renew our collective resolve.
“Resilience isn’t built alone. And in any crisis, time is the first thing we lose. Let us act now,” he said.
About 500 participants attended the third NRS, including senior leaders from domestic financial institutions, regional regulators and international experts on resolution and crisis management. The symposium also highlighted the Recovery and Resolution Planning (RRP) framework, jointly developed by Central Bank of Malaysia (BNM) and PIDM.
According to PIDM’s statement, the recovery planning, led by the central bank, ensures institutions can respond effectively to financial distress and restore viability. It stated that resolution planning, led by PIDM, ensures that failing institutions can be resolved promptly and effectively, minimising disruption to the public and the wider system.
Overall the symposium featured discussions on the emerging risks and industry vulnerabilities, resolution planning in an increasingly complex financial landscape, the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence in finance, the systemic and nonsystemic costs of institutional failure, and the role of crisis communications in shaping public trust.
Participants also explored these challenges through curated panel discussions, masterclasses, roundtables and an immersive simulation lab, which allowed them to experience the pressures of crisis decision-making in real time. In addition to this, PIDM is also hosting the ASEAN Deposit Insurers and Resolution Authorities Roundtable during the event.
