REUNION, LEGASI DAN KELANSUNGAN - PELANCARAN CIMB ALUMNI

English version at the bottom

Hari ini saya berpeluang menghadiri pelancaran CIMB Alumni di Wisma CIMB, yang disempurnakan oleh Tan Sri Nazir Razak, bekas Pengerusi dan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Kumpulan CIMB.

Saya bersama CIMB ketika ia dikenali sebagai Commerce International Merchant Bankers Berhad, sebuah Bank Saudagar. Ia bukan sekadar satu kerjaya tetapi satu fasa yang membentuk perjalanan hidup saya.

Ini bukan sekadar sebuah acara.

Ia adalah kembalinya saya kepada satu perjalanan yang membina asas diri.

Pada waktu itu, ia bukan hanya pekerjaan.

Di sinilah disiplin dibentuk, piawaian ditetapkan, dan hubungan jangka panjang terjalin.

Apa yang paling menyerlah bukanlah semata-mata majlis pelancaran, tetapi suasananya. Ia terasa kurang seperti acara korporat, dan lebih kepada pertemuan memori institusi himpunan individu yang dibentuk oleh budaya, disiplin dan pengalaman yang sama di dalam CIMB.

Saya berpeluang bertemu semula dengan rakan-rakan yang hampir 30 tahun tidak bersua, sambil mengimbau kembali nostalgia zaman terdahulu.

Bertemu semula dengan bekas mentor dan rakan sekerja, termasuk Dato’ Robert Cheim dan Tan Choon Thye, mengingatkan bahawa ekosistem profesional tidak berakhir dengan tempoh perkhidmatan. Perbualan yang berlangsung sarat dengan refleksi, perspektif, dan kebijaksanaan yang hanya dapat lahir daripada pengalaman masa.

Satu ungkapan daripada Nazir Razak yang meninggalkan kesan: Setiap warga CIMB pasti melalui tiga perkara 1 kematian, percukaian dan alumni.

Ungkapan yang santai, namun membawa makna yang mendalam: bahawa sesebuah institusi tidak hanya dinilai melalui prestasi semasa, tetapi melalui jaringan hubungan yang kekal merentasi masa.

Tidak kurang istimewanya ialah pertemuan dengan Mary, yang telah berkhidmat selama 43 tahun dan masih bersama CIMB hingga hari ini. Satu lambang kesetiaan, kesinambungan dan ketahanan institusi yang jarang ditemui. Beliau dijadualkan menyertai alumni pada tahun hadapan, menutup satu bab yang sukar ditandingi.

Acara seperti ini mengingatkan kita akan satu hakikat penting: institusi akan terus kekal apabila hubungan mengatasi peranan.

~ Dr Armin Baniaz Pahamin

ENGLISH

REUNION, LEGACY AND CONTINUITY - CIMB ALUMBI LAUNCH

Today, I had the privilege of attending the launch of CIMB Alumni at Wisma CIMB, officiated by Tan Sri Nazir Razak, former Chairman and CEO of CIMB Group.

I was with CIMB in the mid 1990s when CIMB was the Commerce International Merchant Bankers Berhad, a merchant Bank. It was more than just a career, it was a defining chapter of my life.

This was not merely an event.
It was a return to a formative journey.

Back then, it wasn’t just a job.
It was where discipline was forged, standards were set, and lifelong relationships were built.

What stood out most was not merely the formal launch, but the atmosphere. It felt less like a corporate event and more like a convergence of institutional memory. A gathering of individuals shaped by a shared culture, discipline, and formative experiences within CIMB.

I had the opportunity to reconnect with friends I had not seen for nearly 30 years, reminiscing about the memories of earlier times.

Reconnecting with former mentors and colleagues, including Dato’ Robert Cheim and Tan Choon Thye, was a reminder of how professional ecosystems extend far beyond tenure. The conversations were rich with reflection, perspective, and the kind of insight that only time can produce.

One remark from Nazir resonated deeply: “There are three things that every CIMBian must go through - Death, Taxation, and Alumni.” 

A light-hearted line, but with a deeper institutional truth: that organisations are not defined only by current performance, but by the enduring networks they create.

Equally remarkable was meeting Mary, who has served CIMB for 43 years and remains with the institution today. A rare embodiment of loyalty, continuity, and institutional resilience. She is set to join the alumni next year, closing a chapter few can replicate.

Events like this reinforce an important idea: institutions endure when relationships outlast roles.

~ Dr Armin Baniaz Pahamin