New man at helm of PKNS
Azlan Md Alifiah is said to be under the “tutelage” of KPSB chairman and KDEB advisor Raja Idris Raja Kamarudin (the brother of fugitive blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin).
Terence Fernandez, fz.com
Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Berhad (KDEB) chief financial officer Azlan Md Alifiah (pic above) is poised to take over as Selangor Development Board (PKNS) general manager from today.
Azlan, 46, will replace Othman Omar who had helmed the state property development subsidiary for five years.
Perak-born Azlan is an accountant by training having graduated from University Teknologi MARA and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (UK) in 1991.
He has held various senior positions in financial and telecommunications firms including Head of Risk, Shariah and Governance at Prudential BSN Takaful Berhad; vice president, Risk Strategy at Etiqa Insurance & Takaful; and senior manager, Finance for Shared Infrastructure at Celcom (M) Sdn Bhd.
His first job in 1992, however, was as a management accounts executive at Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd.
Azlan joined KDEB, the investment arm of the Selangor government in June 2011, and was key in structuring Kumpulan Perangsang Selangor Berhad (KPSB)’s disposal of equity interest in Kumpulan Hartanah Selangor Berhad (KHSB) (both KDEB subsidiaries) to KDEB.
He is said to be under the “tutelage” of KPSB chairman and KDEB advisor Raja Idris Raja Kamarudin (the brother of fugitive blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin).
Raja Idris Kamarudin
Sources said Azlan is a “comfortable” choice for Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim compared to Othman who had his own way of doing things.
“Othman questioned a lot of the state’s decisions while Azlan is seen as a good soldier who will not argue with the state and just implement what has been decided,” said a source.
While Othman was praised for his stewardship of PKNS where the company recorded its highest profit before tax of RM420 million in 2011, his relationship with Abdul Khalid was testy at times, with regards to the direction that PKNS should take as a profit-oriented company not a “charitable arm” of the State Government.
Abdul Khalid also barred PKNS from further joint ventures following the PJ Sental project between PKNS and Nusa Gapurna Development Sdn Bhd that ended in court.
The final insult to Othman was when his contract in 2013 was restructured to a monthly one, causing him to throw in the towel.
fz.com first reported on Dec 24 that Othman had in a letter to Abdul Khalid on Dec 23 indicated his desire not to continue as general manager when his contract expires on Jan 31.
Othman, 54, is believed to be deciding between joining another property firm or a financial institution.
