The Executives

SME Corp. Malaysia has announced the appointment of Datuk Teng Chang Khim as its new chairman, effective May 18, 2026. The appointment was made by Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong. Datuk Teng holds a Law degree from the University of London and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Perdana University. He previously served on the board of Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) and brings extensive experience in business, investment and industry development. He has also served as a board member of the Selangor Information Technology and Digital Economy Corporation (SIDEC) and Invest Selangor Berhad. The former Speaker of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly has significant experience in SME development through his previous roles as Selangor executive councillor overseeing portfolios including Investment, Small and Medium Industries, Trade and Transport from 2014 to 2018, as well as Industry and Trade from 2018 to 2023. Throughout his career, he also served as chairman of the Selangor Information and Digital Economy Council, vice chairman of the Selangor Halal Industry Council, and organising chairman of the Selangor International Business Summit (SIBS). SME Corp. Malaysia welcomed the appointment and reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Malaysia, particularly through scaling-up initiatives under the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13). At the same time, the agency expressed its appreciation to former chairman Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Bernard Giluk Dompok for his leadership and contributions since assuming the role on April 1, 2023.

Sime Darby Bhd has appointed Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) president and group chief executive Datuk Abdul Rahman Ahmad as its new non-independent non-executive chairman with immediate effect. In a Bursa Malaysia filing on Thursday, the group said he replaces Tan Sri Samsudin Osman, who stepped down on Dec 31 last year due to personal reasons. Abdul Rahman, 56, previously held the same chairman role at Sime Darby from 2019 to 2020, marking his return to the board. His reappointment comes amid reports that his tenure at PNB is expected to end by end-May, with a transition planned to deputy president and group chief executive Datuk Rizal Rickman Ramli on July 1, according to earlier media reports. PNB, Malaysia’s largest fund manager with more than RM300 billion in assets under management, holds a 4.24% stake in Sime Darby as at Sept 8 last year, while AmanahRaya Trustees Bhd remains the group’s largest shareholder with a 32.4% stake. Abdul Rahman has extensive experience in Malaysia’s corporate and investment sector, having previously served as group CEO of CIMB Group Holdings Bhd and CIMB Bank Bhd from 2020 to 2024. He also led PNB as president and group chief executive from 2016 to 2020. Earlier in his career, he held senior roles at Arthur Andersen in London, Pengurusan Danaharta Nasional Bhd, Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd, Media Prima Bhd and Ekuiti Nasional Bhd, and previously served as chairman of Velesto Energy Bhd. Sime Darby shares fell two sen or 0.9% to RM2.19 ahead of the announcement, giving the group a market capitalisation of RM14.9 billion.

Bank Islam has appointed former Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) chief executive officer Dr Nurmazilah Dato’ Mahzan as an Independent Non-Executive Director. Her appointment took effect on May 7, 2026, according to the bank. Dr Nurmazilah has also been serving on the board of BIMB Securities Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Bank Islam, since August 2025. She currently holds board positions in Perbadanan Wakaf Selangor and Malaysia Professional Accountancy. She was previously a board member of TH Plantations Bhd and its subsidiaries, as well as CIMB Bank Bhd and the Sustainable Energy Development Authority. Earlier in her career, she worked in audit and consultancy with Arthur Andersen & Co. in Kuala Lumpur before moving into corporate accounting roles at KUB Malaysia Bhd. She later spent more than 10 years at Universiti Malaya, focusing on auditing, financial reporting and corporate governance. At MIA, she served in senior leadership roles including Deputy CEO and CEO, where she oversaw regulatory, operational and professional development functions. Since 2015, she has been involved in promoting integrated reporting and has conducted training in sustainability, governance, risk management and financial reporting. She holds multiple professional qualifications, including Certified Internal Auditor, Certified Public Accountant, Chartered Global Management Accountant, Certified ESG Analyst and Certified Risk Management and Assurance certification.

MISC Bhd has redesignated its independent director Mohammad Suhaimi Mohd Yasin as its new chairman with immediate effect, according to a filing with Bursa Malaysia. He succeeds Datuk Abu Huraira Abu Yazid, who stepped down after serving five years in the role and did not seek re-election at the company’s recent annual general meeting. Mohammad Suhaimi Mohd Yasin. Suhaimi, aged 65, is currently also the chairman and independent non-executive director of Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering Holdings Bhd, which is a 66.5%-owned subsidiary of MISC. The group acknowledged that Suhaimi’s concurrent roles may present potential conflict-of-interest risks, particularly given the possibility of related-party transactions between the two entities. However, MISC said it has established governance measures and internal controls to identify, manage and mitigate any such conflicts to ensure proper oversight. The appointment comes as part of the group’s leadership transition following Abu Huraira’s departure, marking a new phase in board-level leadership at the shipping and energy-related services group. On the market front, MISC shares closed eight sen lower at RM8.15 on Wednesday, giving the group a market capitalisation of RM36.38 billion.

Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (KWAP) has appointed Dato’ Jay Khairil Jeremy Abdullah as its new chief executive officer, effective May 20, 2026. In a statement, KWAP said Jay Khairil brings nearly 30 years of experience in banking and financial services, with expertise in financial management, governance, risk management and institutional transformation. Before joining KWAP, he served as CEO of Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN), where he led initiatives in financial performance, digital banking, operational resilience and financial inclusion. He had also previously held the roles of chief financial officer and chief internal auditor at BSN. Prior to that, he held senior positions at CIMB Group, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Malaysia and Bank Negara Malaysia, as well as earlier roles at Hong Leong Bank and AmMerchant Bank. KWAP said Jay Khairil will lead the organisation’s strategic direction and operations while strengthening its mandate through disciplined investment, governance and long-term stewardship.

CIMB Group Holdings Bhd has appointed outgoing Standard Chartered Malaysia CEO Mak Joon Nien as CEO of its growth markets and CIMB Singapore, subject to regulatory approval. In his new role, Mak will also oversee CIMB Thailand and CIMB Cambodia, focusing on driving regional growth, cross-border business and wealth opportunities. Mak is set to step down as Standard Chartered Malaysia CEO on May 8. He will also join CIMB’s group executive committee. He replaces Victor Lee Meng Teck, who resigned from CIMB Singapore in September last year. CIMB group CEO Novan Amirudin said Mak’s experience and regional expertise will help strengthen the bank’s ASEAN strategy and accelerate growth in cross-border banking and wealth management. Mak has nearly 30 years of banking experience. He joined Standard Chartered in 1997 and became its first Malaysian CEO in 2022.

Datuk Mohamad Idham Nawawi, former CEO of CelcomDigi Bhd, has been appointed as an independent non-executive director of RHB Bank Bhd, effective immediately. In a Bursa Malaysia filing on Thursday, RHB Bank said the appointment takes effect right away. Idham previously served as CEO of CelcomDigi from December 2022 to August 2025, and was later an adviser to the board from September to November 2025. Before the CelcomDigi merger, he was CEO of Celcom Axiata Bhd from 2018 to 2022. RHB Bank shares closed 0.73% higher at RM8.33 on Thursday, valuing the group at RM36.33 billion.

PETRONAS Dagangan Bhd has appointed PETRONAS executive vice president Datuk Sazali Hamzah as its new chairman, effective immediately. He succeeds Datuk Anuar Ahmad, who retired on April 27, according to a Bursa Malaysia filing by the company. Sazali, 60, is currently the chief executive officer of PETRONAS’ downstream business and also serves as chairman of PETRONAS Chemicals Group Bhd. He previously led PETRONAS Chemicals Group as managing director and CEO from 2014 to 2021, and had also headed PETRONAS Penapisan (Melaka) Sdn Bhd. Throughout his career at PETRONAS, Sazali has held several senior leadership roles across the refinery, petrochemical and project management divisions. PETRONAS Dagangan shares rose 1% to RM20.76 during Friday’s noon break, valuing the company at RM20.6 billion.

Standard Chartered Malaysia said chief executive officer Mak Joon Nien will step down on May 8, after almost four years in the role. Mak, who has been with Standard Chartered for nearly 30 years, is leaving to pursue an external opportunity. He will also step down from the boards of Standard Chartered Malaysia Bhd and Standard Chartered Saadiq Bhd, as well as other related entities. Standard Chartered Malaysia – Chief Executive Officer, Mak Joon Nien. The bank has appointed its chief financial officer, Mushahid Syed, as interim CEO and head of coverage for Malaysia. He will lead the bank’s local operations while continuing in his current role. Standard Chartered said a permanent successor will be announced later. Mak joined the bank in 1997 as a graduate trainee and later spent 15 years in a regional role in Singapore before returning to Malaysia, where he became the bank’s first Malaysian chief executive. The bank said he helped raise the franchise’s profile, strengthen client and stakeholder relationships, and align the business with its global strategy. Mushahid, who joined Standard Chartered in 2013, has more than 20 years of leadership experience and has been part of the Malaysia management team since becoming CFO in 2024.

Bursa Malaysia Bhd has appointed Azizan Abdul Aziz as director of its Islamic capital market (ICM), effective Friday, as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen its position in the global Islamic finance space. In a statement, the exchange operator said Azizan will take on the additional responsibility alongside his current role as chief financial officer, reflecting a dual mandate that combines financial leadership with strategic oversight of the Islamic capital market segment. Bursa Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Fad’l Mohamed said the appointment underscores the organisation’s continued commitment to advancing its Islamic capital market offering, which remains a key pillar of Malaysia’s broader capital market ecosystem. “Azizan’s experience, financial expertise and deep institutional knowledge position him well to guide our Islamic market priorities, while continuing to ensure strong financial stewardship in his capacity as CFO,” he said. Malaysia’s Islamic capital market has continued to show steady growth in recent years, expanding from RM2.2 trillion in 2020 to RM2.7 trillion as at end-2025. The segment is supported by strong contributions from both shariah-compliant equities and sukuk, which account for RM1.3 trillion and RM1.4 trillion respectively. The depth of the market is further reflected in the high proportion of shariah-compliant listings on Bursa Malaysia, with more than 80% of public-listed companies classified as shariah-compliant, reinforcing the country’s leadership in Islamic finance globally. In his new role, Azizan will be responsible for providing strategic direction and oversight across Bursa Malaysia’s Islamic capital market initiatives. This includes working closely with internal teams, regulators and market participants to further develop the ecosystem, enhance product offerings, and drive greater participation in shariah-compliant investments. He brings more than two decades of experience in finance, accounting, corporate finance and advisory, positioning him to play a key role in shaping the next phase of growth for Malaysia’s Islamic capital market.