Assalamualaikum and a very good morning. It gives me great pleasure to be here with all of you to celebrate the graduation of FSTEP Batch 23 - the second one for this year.

The first batch saw the start of all classes being held face-to-face after the pandemic. Every precaution was taken to ensure that the participants were safe and healthy with masks being worn indoors, classes separated into three groups to reduce the chance of infection and Covid self-tests being done twice a week.

The SOPs put into place proved to be very successful, which resulted in the same being implemented for this second one. This enabled FSTEP to be delivered in-person which has shown to be a more conducive environment for effective learning through case studies, breakout sessions, dynamic engagement and sharing of experiences by the trainers.

There is no underestimating as well the importance of the lasting friendship and close connections that have been made by the participants during their time together in the classroom over these past three months.

For ABS, this has also marked the much-welcomed return of face-to-face training at its premises. While this has progressed slowly with many banks practising hybrid work mode for their staff, I am pleased to hear that requests for in-person training has increased steadily.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

FSTEP was formed to address the shortage of suitable talents in the financial sector. It was an initiative by the industry players in collaboration with Bank Negara Malaysia to produce highly trained professionals.

Today, FSTEP celebrates its 15th year of developing skilled professionals and enriching the talent pipeline for the financial services sector. Much has changed in FSTEP over the years, largely because there have been a great many changes in the industry and the environment that it operates in.

From a 1-year programme when it started out, FSTEP is now a highly intensive 3-month programme with a curriculum that is continuously updated to reflect what the industry’s expectations and needs are at that time.

With the increasing need for graduates to be job-ready and highly skilled upon joining the work force, the demands on FSTEP by the financial institutions to fill the training gaps is ever pressing. It is a responsibility that the team at the Asian Banking School does not take lightly.

For this intake, the curriculum covered crucial topics that included ESG, Sustainability, Conduct Risk, Design Thinking, and Agility. This is in addition to the specialised training sessions in the areas of Technical Knowledge, Digital Banking, Leadership and Executive Presence that are usually covered.

It is my hope then that the knowledge the participants have gained these past three months will be of benefit to their sponsoring institutions as they begin their careers in the financial services industry. But let this also be a reminder that the journey in learning does not stop.

Like Henry Ford once said, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young and the greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.”

As Chairman of the Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers as well as the ABS, I do have a responsibility to also ask that you consider professional qualifications as part of your pathway in learning and become Chartered Bankers. For those who would like to take that a step even further, there is also the Chartered Banker MBA programme to consider.

To the 66 graduates of Batch 23, congratulations on your achievement! To have successfully completed FSTEP over an intensive 3 months is commendable and I hope you will look back fondly to your time here and maintain your ties with us as part of the ever-growing FSTEP and ABS alumni network.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the nine sponsoring financial institutions for their support and for paving the way for the participants to join FSTEP. It is encouraging to note that we continue to get participation from the insurance sector whose candidates have always excelled in this programme.

My deepest thanks to Bank Negara Malaysia for their continued belief in the programme and my heartiest congratulations to the learning partners, faculty and the FSTEP team at the Asian Banking School led by Dr. Vijay for another successful group of FSTEP graduates.

Thank you.