KUALA LUMPUR, June 21 — Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid today denied speculation that he would be taking over the Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd (FGV) chief executive officer post from the now-suspended Datuk Zakaria Arshad.
Instead, he told the business section of New Straits Times that he will consider any request to help the listed firm.
"If I am asked to help, of course I will consider as it concerns the welfare of Felda and its settlers,” he was quoted saying on the daily’s website.
News reports on the speculated move had cited independent energy producer Malakoff Corp Bhd's filing with Bursa Malaysia yesterday of Azhar's resignation effective June 30 as managing director due to "personal and professional reasons".
Azhar, 56, became Malakoff Corp Bhd group managing director just over a year ago on May 1.
Azhar has had various stints in the local corporate sector, with one of the more recent ones being chief executive officer of Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) from 2011 until 2014.
He previously held different positions within the Sime Darby Group, including as Sime Darby Plantation Sdn Bhd's managing director and as the entire group's acting president and group chief executive.
Azhar is not the only one named in several of Malakoff's announced boardroom changes yesterday.
Malakoff yesterday said its chairman Tan Sri Syed Zainol Anwar Ibni Syed Putra Jamalullail has resigned due to other professional commitments and would be replaced on the same day by Gas Malaysia Bhd chairman and Permodalan Felcra Sdn Bhd director Datuk Hasni Harun.
Habib Husin, 57, who has held various positions in Malakoff and is now the company's executive vice-president of operations, will be its chief executive officer from next month.
On June 6, FGV suspended Zakaria and three other senior officials — FGV chief financial controller Ahmad Tifli Mohd Talha, FGV Trading chief executive officer Ahmad Salman Omar and Delima Oil Products senior general manager Kamarzaman Abd Karim — to allow for internal investigations into alleged irregularities involving a subsidiary's transactions.
Following that, Putrajaya and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission launched their separate investigations into the matter.
Tan Sri Isa Samad resigned as FGV chairman on Monday and was appointed the same day as the Land Public Transport Commission's (SPAD) acting chair, while his position in FGV was immediately taken on by Tan Sri Sulaiman Mahbob.
