PUTRAJAYA (Jan 17): Transport Minister Anthony Loke said today locals will be appointed as chief executive officers (CEOs) of Prasarana Malaysia Bhd and Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB), because both companies are strategic assets for the nation.

Prasarana's website indicates that the company owns and operates the country's urban rail services, which include three light rail transit (LRT) networks and the KL Monorail, besides the mass rapid transit (MRT) line. Prasarana said it also owns and operates stage bus services in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang, Perak and Pahang.

Loke said Prasarana and MAHB's respective boards will submit a list of potential CEO candidates to the Minister of Finance Inc first. "As far as the government's position is concerned, they will be locals," he said here today at the signing ceremony for the supplemental agreement to the project delivery partner agreement for the MRT Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya (SSP) Line, also known as MRT2.

The supplemental agreement was signed between Mass Rapid Transit Corp Sdn Bhd and MMC Gamuda KVMRT (PDP SSP) Sdn Bhd.

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, who was also present at the event, said he has yet to receive any candidate lists for the Prasanana and MAHB CEO positions.

"I haven't received the names yet, we have enough professionals [to fill the positions]. We have to give the boards time to do their due diligence and find the right people," Lim said.

At Prasarana, news reports indicated earlier Prasarana president and CEO Mohamed Hazlan Mohamed Hussain has been suspended from his position following a decision by the government-owned firm's board of directors.

It was reported that the decision was made on Dec 24 last year due to public dissatisfaction over the country's LRT services. It was reported that in the interim, Prasarana chief operating officer Nizam Alias would assume Hazlan's role.

At MAHB, the airport operator said in a Bursa Malaysia filing that Raja Azmi Raja Nazuddin resigned as group CEO on Jan 6, 2020 "to pursue other opportunities".

MAHB announced in a separate filing Datuk Mohd Shukrie Mohd Salleh's appointment as acting group CEO effective Jan 6, 2020. "Currently Mohd Shukrie holds two positions, i.e. acting group CEO and chief operating officer of MAHB," the company said.

See also:
Appointments by Prasarana, MAHB not under Transport Ministry's jurisdiction — Loke
Ex-Pos Malaysia CEO Mohd Shukrie takes over as acting MAHB chief