TM appoints new chairman as Halim leaves for MCMC role

• Successor Sulaiman has had 40yrs+ in the civil service
• Also on the boards of various companies and institutions

TELEKOM Malaysia Bhd (TM) has officially announced the resignation of Dr Halim Shafie (pic) as chairman of its board, and said that Dr Sulaiman Mahbob has been appointed the new chairman effective Jan 12.
 
Halim has left to take on the role of chairman of industry regulator the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), whose previous chairman Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi saw his tenure abruptly ended on Dec 31, 2014.

READ ALSO: Halim helms MCMC again, appointment greeted with cautious optimism
 
In a statement issued by his company, TM group chief executive officer Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa expressed his gratitude to Halim for his dedication, leadership and contribution to the group during his tenure.
 
“Having long served the telecommunications industry, his stewardship and guidance have led the company to where it is today.
 
“During his chairmanship, TM has achieved several key milestones including the successful rollout of the High-Speed Broadband (HSBB) project as well as the introduction of UniFi, the first triple-play service in the country,” he added.
 
Halim has also been a strong and passionate advocate for education as the chairman of Multimedia University (MMU) and TM’s corporate responsibility programmes, which saw his commitment and participation in various initiatives including ICT-related nation-building, as well as community-based and environmental awareness programmes, the company said.
 
Halim was appointed as chairman of the TM board in July 2009.
 
“We will continue to support Halim in his new appointment at MCMC in realising the digital agenda for the nation,” said Zamzamzairani (pic).
 
“We, at TM, will definitely miss him. Nevertheless, Halim will be key in pushing our country further in telecommunications, multimedia and ICT,” he added.
 
Meanwhile, the new chairman Sulaiman, 65, is currently the chairman of the Minority Shareholders Watchdog Group (MSWG), the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) and Jambatan Kedua Sdn Bhd.
 
He also serves as a member of the board of several institutions including Bank Negara Malaysia, the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (Isis) and Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd.
 
He also teaches economics and public policy as Adjunct Professor at the University of Malaya, and at Universiti Tun Abdul Razak (Unitar).
 
Sulaiman was a former civil servant who served for over 40 years. During the course of his civil service career, he was at various ministries and departments, including the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, and the National Economic Action Council (NEAC).
 
His last position was Director General of the Economic Planning Unit (2006-2009) of the Prime Minister’s Department, TM said.
 
Sulaiman has also served at the Institute of Integrity Malaysia (IIM) as its first founding president, and was previously the chairman of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) until May 2012.
 
Sulaiman has also served on the boards of Petronas, the Companies Commission of Malaysia, Malaysia Insurance Deposit Corporation and MCMC.

He was trained in economics, first at the University of Malaya, and then at University of London. He completed his PhD at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University in the United States in early 1986.
 
“We would like to wish Halim all the best in his future undertakings. On that note, we would also like to welcome Sulaiman as the new chairman of the TM board,” said Zamzamzairani.
 
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