This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on July 18, 2018

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Ibrahim Yahaya, former press secretary to former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, is among the four new board members of loss-making Utusan Melayu (Malaysia) Bhd.

The others are former banker Wan Zalizan Wan Jusoh, senior lawyer Datuk Mohd Azmi Othman and Datuk Ahmad Fauzi Zahari.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia yesterday, Utusan said Ibrahim, 58, has been appointed independent and non-executive director of the group.

Ibrahim was press secretary to the deputy prime minister from August 2015 to May 2018. Prior to this, he was the director-general of broadcasting at the ministry of communications and multimedia in 2009. He was also the media adviser to the minister of communications and multimedia in 2011.

Ibrahim was also managing director (MD) of Ria Public Relations Sdn Bhd from January until August 2015 and chief executive officer (CEO) of Bernama TV from August 2013 until December 2014.

Currently, Ahmad Fauzi, 55, is the MD of Persada Tenaga Sdn Bhd, while Wan Zalizan, 45, is a director of Dayanine Equity Sdn Bhd, a private investment holding company.

Wan Zalizan was previously chief executive of Menteri Besar Incorporated (Terengganu) and also served as group CEO of Terengganu Inc Sdn Bhd from 2015 to 2016. Prior to joining the Terengganu state investment arm, he was attached with Export-Import Bank Malaysia Bhd as chief operating officer from 2012 to 2015.

Mohd Azmi, 50, currently sits on the boards of KYM Holdings Bhd and Majuperak Holdings Bhd. He is the founder and principal partner of a legal firm based in Ipoh, Perak, and a senior member of the Bar Council Malaysia.

Their appointments come a month after the voluntary resignations of four directors — chairman Tan Sri Mohamad Fatmi Che Salleh, Datuk Seri Tengku Sariffuddin Tengku Ahmad, Jamalul Kiram Mohd Zakaria and Mohd Yusof Abu Othman.

On June 7, Umno politician Datuk Abdul Aziz Sheikh Fadzir was appointed its executive chairman. Umno-controlled Utusan publishes the Utusan Malaysia and Kosmo! newspapers.

Utusan shares closed up 2.5 sen or 9.09% at 30 sen yesterday, valuing it at RM33.22 million.