Expert resume of Gopala Krishnan Sundaram

Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya and partner of Kuala Lumpur based legal firm, Abdullah Chan & Co; former Assistant Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia, the central bank of Malaysia; Malaysian member of the International Monetary Law Committee of the International Law Association (“MOCOMILA”)

Gopala Krishnan K. Sundaram (Gopal) is a partner in the Kuala Lumpur based legal firm, Abdullah Chan & Co. which specialises in banking & finance, capital markets, corporate law, oil & gas, property development and aviation law. His practice areas are Islamic finance, central banking and monetary law, Malaysian foreign exchange administration, regulatory compliance including anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing, payments (including electronic payments) and remittances, corporate law (specialising in companies limited by guarantee), corporate governance, personal data protection and human resources administration. His clients include international organisations, leading domestic and foreign financial institutions and Government Linked Corporations.

Gopal served Bank Negara Malaysia, the central bank of Malaysia, for 30 years. Prior to entering legal practice, upon his retirement from the Bank in 2011, he was the Project Advisor for the Bank for drafting the Islamic Financial Services Act 2013 and the Financial Services Act 2013 which are now the principal regulatory laws for banking, investment banking, insurance and payments in Malaysia.  

He was one of the  Assistant Governors of the Bank when he retired. Earlier, in his capacity as the General Counsel of the Bank for several years he led the drafting teams for over 11 legislation which included the Central Bank Act of Malaysia 2009, the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, and the Co-operatives Commission Act 2001. While in the Bank, he also led the legislative committees of the international teams which established the Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB), the International Islamic Liquidity Management Corporation (IILM) and team from the Bank which established the International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF).

Gopal is a member of the Board of Directors of Tenaga Nasional Berhad, the primary electricity supplier in Malaysia, where he chairs the Board Integrity Committee and is a member of the Board Audit Committee and the Board Risk Committee. He was a member of the Board of Directors of Kuwait Finance House (Malaysia) Berhad where he chaired the Board Risk Management Committee and was a member of the Board Audit Committee and the Board Nomination and Remuneration Committee.

Gopal is the only member of the International Monetary Law Committee of the International Law Association (“MOCOMILA”) from Malaysia.