KUALA LUMPUR: UDA Holdings Bhd has appointed Tan Sri Mohd Annuar Zaini as the new chairman, effective March 23, 2023, replacing Datuk Norliza Abdul Rahim.

He began his career in the government service as an administrative and diplomatic officer in 1977.

He served in several federal and state government ministries and departments in Perak.

In 1999, he retired from government service to venture into the private sector.

He has been appointed as a member of the Board of Trustees of Yayasan Waqaf Malaysia in 2021, chairman of MRCB Land Sdn Bhd in 2022, and chairman of Metropolitan Utilities Sdn Bhd since 1993.

He has been entrusted with various responsibilities such as an advisor and chief executive officer of the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (2007-2009), chairman of BERNAMA (February 2004 - January 2010), executive director of Berjaya Corporation Bhd (2001-2004), director of Malaysia Airline System Bhd (2005-2011), PLUS Expressways Bhd (2007-2012), Tropicana Corporation Bhd (2010-2015), and as an independent and non-executive director of Manulife Holdings Bhd, Manulife Insurance Bhd, and Manulife Investment Management (M) Bhd (2011-2020).

Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives minister Datuk Ewon Benedick said the Ministry is confident that the appointment of Mohd Annuar can bring to UDA, which is an agency under the ministry, to empower entrepreneurs through its business segments and support the government's aspirations towards the development of Madani Malaysia.

Mohd Annuar holds a Bachelor of Laws and Diplomacy from Tufts University, United States, and a Bachelor of Economics from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).

UDA president and chief executive officer

Datuk Sr Mohd Salem Kailany congratulated and welcomed Mohd Annuar as the head of the company's leadership.

"We hope that his leadership will be the next aspiration to drive the excellence and sustainability of UDA in the future," he said.