Sime Darby Plantation Bhd (SDP) has appointed Megat Najmuddin Megat Khas as the new chairperson of the board of directors, effective July 1.

Megat Najmuddin, 75, is currently the Bersatu disciplinary board chairperson. He is a former lawyer, lawmaker, and has sat in various boardrooms. 

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia today, SDP also announced that former Johor menteri besar Abdul Ghani Othman has resigned as chairperson and a member of the board effective today.

Megat Najmuddin, who holds a direct interest of 5,000 shares in SDP, currently holds chairpersonship in a number of publicly listed and private companies as well as non-governmental organisations, including chairperson of Asian Pac Holdings Bhd, SEG International Bhd, Green Venture Capital Sdn Bhd, Ulink Ascot Sdn Bhd, and the Malaysian Institute of Management.

Megat Najmuddin is also the president of the Federation of Public Listed Companies Bhd.

“On behalf of SDP, I welcome Megat Najmuddin as our chairperson at a time when the company is undergoing a crucial phase in its more than 100-year history as we lay out the foundation for our next stage of growth in our quest to be the leading integrated palm oil player,” said SDP group managing director Mohamad Helmy Othman Basha.

Helmy also expressed his appreciation to Abdul Ghani for his services and contributions since his appointment in 2013.

“It is with Abdul Ghani’s patient advice and judicious counsel that the company has overcome numerous challenges and lived through defining moments during this period, including the Sime Darby Group demerger exercise in 2017 and the unprecedented Covid-19 crisis that we are all still riding through,” he added.

- Bernama