Wahid Omar appointed new PNB chairman
THE STAR
PETALING JAYA: Former cabinet minister Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar (pic) has been appointed as the new chairman of Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB).
In a statement on Friday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said Wahid’s appointment would take effect on Aug 1, as he replaces the outgoing chairman Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid.
“A chartered accountant, Wahid has also led Maybank, a company under PNB’s portfolio, after spearheading the transformation of Telekom Malaysia. He had also led the UEM Group recovery process.
“When he was the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, he had also supervised several government agencies such as the EPU, UKAS, Statistics Department, Ekuinas, Talent Corporation, Teraju, and Yayasan Pendidikan Peneraju Bumiputera,” he said.
Najib also expressed his gratitude for Ahmad Sarji for having contributed to PNB during his 19-year tenure.
“PNB has achieved many successes, including implementing the Government’s mandate to improve the economic status of the Bumiputra and contribute to the nation.
“I hope Tun Ahmad Sarji will continue sharing his experiences and contributing the growth of the nation,” he said.
In a statement later, Wahid expressed his appreciation to the prime minister, the board members of Pemegang Amanah Yayasan Pelaburan Bumiputera and PNB’s board of directors for their trust in him.
“This is a huge responsibility to replace Tun Ahmad Sarji who has done a lot for PNB. I would like to thank Tun and the shareholders for their contribution to PNB. This appointment also means a lot to me as I have served in two companies under PNB,” he said.
Wahid had previously held the position of president and chief executive officer of Maybank from 2008 to 2013 and the director of Group Corporate Services in Amanah Capital Group from 1994 to 2001.
“I hope I will get continuous support in my new position and I promise to carry out my duty with honesty and trust,” he said.
