KUALA LUMPUR (April 23): MSM Malaysia Holdings Bhd, the country's largest refined sugar producer, has appointed its executive director Datuk Khairil Anuar Aziz as group chief executive officer (CEO) effective immediately.

With this appointment, Mohd Shaffie Said will cease to be the acting CEO and will instead assume the role of group chief operating officer (COO) of MSM.

Mohd Shaffie was appointed the acting CEO on Jan 22 last year, after the position was left vacant following the sudden departure of Datuk Mohamad Amri Sahari @ Khuzari as president and group CEO of MSM on Jan 17, 2018. Mohamad Amri had left his employment as he claimed that he had been constructively dismissed.

Prior to that, Mohd Shaffie was the chief technical officer of MSM and the project director of MSM Sugar Refinery (Johor) Sdn Bhd.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia today, MSM said this is in line with the group's recent organisational restructuring exercise, which involves streamlining certain key position with the intention to strengthen governance of the group.

Prior to this, Khairil Anuar, 53, was COO of sugar sector at FGV Holdings Bhd since last year. He is also a non-executive director of Pelaburan Mara Bhd and Sinergi Perdana Sdn Bhd.

MSM shares closed up 7 sen or 4.7% at RM1.56 today, with 203,000 shares done, bringing a market capitalisation of RM1.1 billion.