Governor of the Central Bank of Malaysia Dr Aziz has been at the forefront of efforts to encourage the country's majority Muslim population to participate more fully in Malaysia's growing prosperity. She spearheaded reforms that brought Malaysia out of the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis in better shape than most other economies of the region. Dr Aziz is also well known for the development of financial instruments that comply with Islam's ban on usury. Business financing, mortgages, bonds and insurance that are all feasible for Muslims have been widely studied and experimented in Malaysia to the benefits of its people. Dr Zaki, who has headed the Bank since 2000, was named the world's best central bank governor in Euro-money magazine's 2005 awards.