Kuala Lumpur, 25 September 2019 – Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad’s Founder and Adviser YM Tan Sri Dato’ Paduka Tengku Noor Zakiah Tengku Ismail (Tan Sri Tengku Noor Zakiah) released her memoir today, which captures her journey and life stories as a Malaysian entrepreneur. The launch was in conjunction with her 93rd birthday celebration.
Titled ‘Tengku Noor Zakiah: Malaysia’s Pioneering Stockbroker’, the memoir was published by MPH Group Publishing and chronicles her many successes which include co-founding K&N Kenanga Sdn Bhd in 1973 with Tuan Haji Kamaruddin Taha, and her efforts in transforming it into Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad, the largest independent investment bank in Malaysia, as it is known today.
“When I look at Kenanga today, I see that, together, we have created something immensely wonderful and rewarding on so many levels, which I could not have foreseen when I first started working, let alone when I was still that little girl sewing her first baju kurung or making a profit from jasmine garlands,” said Tan Sri Tengku Noor Zakiah.
The book details the origins of the company name, which was inspired by the Kenanga flowers that grew on the Mengkebang Estate managed by her father, as well as her ventures into the stock market in the 1960s where she eventually acquired her stock broking license and co-founded the investment company she has become synonymous with today.
“Tengku Noor Zakiah’s autobiography tells not only her story but the story of Malaysia. Told through a series of vignettes, interwoven with key moments from the nation’s history, we see how the family values and entrepreneurial spirit honed in her youth have shaped her into the formidable businesswomen she is today. A truly remarkable book about a truly remarkable Malaysian,” said Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, Group CEO of Air Asia.
Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, Malaysia’s former Minister of International Trade and Industry, describes Tan Sri Dato’ Paduka Tengku Noor as an inspiration to young women and men. “The memoirs of Tengku Noor Zakiah will spur the young adults of Malaysia to strive to benchmark their performance to the highest level possible, and venture into new sectors continuously being opened up by the process of globalization. Tengku Noor Zakiah is an inspiration as she continues to prove that there is no barrier for success in any endeavour.”
According to Datuk Mohaiyani Shamsudin, Chairman of Maybank, Tan Sri Tengku Noor Zakiah is no ordinary woman as she has set aside nobility to take on challenges in a unique way. “Tengku Noor Zakiah is truly an epitome of success not just for being the first lady stockbroker in Malaysia but for transforming the firm she started in 1964 into the independent investment bank it is today: Kenanga Investment Bank.”
“Tengku Noor Zakiah is a great role model and example to all Malaysians, and especially women. She deserves all the success she’s achieved as it’s all built with resilience as humility,” said Tan Sri Azman Hashim, Chairman of AmBank Group and shared his best wishes for Tan Sri Tengku Noor Zakiah.
Copies of ‘Tengku Noor Zakiah: Malaysia’s Pioneering Stockbroker’ are available at MPH Bookstores nationwide for RM40 (softcover) and RM60 (hardcover).
For more information on Kenanga Group, please visit www.kenanga.com.my.
