KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 22): MSM Malaysia Holdings Bhd’s president and group chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Mohamad Amri Sahari @ Khuzari has vacated his role today, claiming he has been “constructively dismissed”.

In a statement, the country’s leading sugar producer, however, denied Mohamad Amri’s claim and requested him to return to work in accordance with the terms and conditions of service to discharge his role and responsibilities as the president and group CEO.

“Following the affirmative by Datuk Mohamad Amri Sahari @ Khuzari that he will not return to work, the board of MSM has appointed Mohd Shaffie Said as acting CEO of MSM, effective today,” MSM said.

Mohd Shaffie is the chief technical officer at MSM and the project director of MSM Sugar Refinery (Johor) Sdn Bhd. He will also now assume the responsibilities of the president and group CEO of MSM, and will report directly to the executive director of the group.

Quoting sources, The Edge Financial Daily reported on Thursday (Jan 18) that Mohamad Amri had tendered his resignation after disagreeing with the group’s major shareholder Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd (FGV) over the recent appointment of an executive director to MSM’s board.

It is worth noting MSM has seen some movement and changes in its management team and board since last year. 

Among some notable movements were the appointment of FGV’s chairman Datuk Wira Azhar Abdul Hamid as non-independent and non-executive chairman of MSM, a position left vacant when Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad resigned as chairman of both MSM and FGV in June last year; a redesignation of its non-independent director Datuk Khairil Annuar Aziz as the group’s executive director; as well as the appointment of Raja Faridah Raja Ahmad as MSM’s chief financial officer, replacing Aznur Kama Azmir whose secondment contract from FGV to MSM ended on May last year.

As of closing, MSM’s share price slipped lower by 0.49% to RM4.06, with about 11,400 shares traded, giving it a market capitalisation of RM2.9 billion.