KUALA LUMPUR – Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid has confirmed his resignation as chairman of Mass Rapid Transit Corp Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) board effective Monday.
He also confirmed to The Vibes that his resignation stemmed from differences of opinion.
“Yes, I resigned on Monday. There were some differences of opinion about the company, so I stepped down.
“I’m sure the government will be able to find the right person for this job.”
When asked about his future plans, the 60-year-old accountant by training said he remains on the board of several other companies.
This comes days after the cabinet agreed to implement the MRT3 Circle Line project, with priority given to local contractors, especially Bumiputera ones.
The MRT3 project was suspended by the Pakatan Harapan administration before the new cabinet under the leadership of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin agreed to resume the project last year.
Previously, Azhar was MRT Corp chief executive officer from 2011 to 2014.
However, he resigned to take responsibility for an accident at the Sg Buloh MRT worksite that took the lives of three migrant workers.
Prior to his MRT Corp chairman position, Azhar had chaired the board of FGV Holdings Bhd from 2017 to April 2021 while also chairing the MSM Malaysia Holdings Bhd from 2017 to 2020.
Before his time in FGV Holdings, Azhar had served as the Malakoff Corporation Bhd’s group managing director from 2016 to 2017 while also sitting as chairman of Tradewinds Corporation.
He had also served Tradewinds as its president/group managing director from 2015 to 2016.
The corporate figure had started his career as an internal auditor with the British Telecom in 1989.
After returning to Malaysia, he worked with MCIS Insurance Bhd as its chief financial officer before moving to Sime Darby in March 1992.
Between 1994 and 2001, he held the positions of group general manager of its engineering, oil and gas division, and served as a business development director for Sime Conoco Sdn Bhd.
He was also the financial controller for Sime Tyres International Sdn Bhd.
At the Sime Darby Group level, Azhar was its executive vice president/head of the plantation and agri-business division, and the managing director for Sime Darby Plantations Sdn Bhd, among others. – The Vibes, March 9, 2022
