[UPDATED] Umno info chief appointed PMO economic director

KUALA LUMPUR – A photo of Umno information chief Shahril Sufian Hamdan with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob made its rounds last night.

It is learnt that he has been appointed economic director (pengarah ekonomi) at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

The photo shows him and Ismail Sabri with what looks like an appointment letter.

Shahril is also deputy Umno Youth chief, while his new boss is the party vice-president.

According to his personal website, Shahril was a strategy and management consultant at McKinsey and Company for three years, and a policy officer to Khairy Jamaluddin for two years.

He graduated in economics at the University of Manchester in 2008 and completed his master’s degree in race ethnicity and postcolonial studies from the London School of Economics Political Science.

Earlier, speculation was rife that Ismail Sabri might appoint former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak as his economic adviser.

However, he faced criticism seeing that he is facing multiple charges related to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) financial scandal.

Last month, Najib had met Ismail Sabri at the latter’s office to discuss economic challenges and strategies to address the Covid-19 pandemic – posting about the meeting on their respective Facebook accounts.

Najib was prime minister and finance minister until Barisan Nasional lost the 2018 general election. – The Vibes, October 12, 2021