KUALA LUMPUR (May 8): Former Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) chairman Tan Sri Mohd Bakke Salleh has been appointed as the new chairman of Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) effective Monday (May 11).

In several bourse filings, the telco announced that Mohd Bakke, 65, would be made its non-independent and non-executive chairman, replacing Rosli Man, 66, who will be resigning as the group’s chairman on Sunday. 

According to stock exchange filings, Rosli will resign due to “cessation of office as an appointed director and non-independent non-executive chairman of TM”.

Rosli was appointed to the group’s board on Dec 3, 2018, according to TM’s 2019 annual report. Previously, he served as an independent non-executive director before resigning in 2008.

In a separate statement, the group’s board thanked Rosli for his leadership.

“During his chairmanship, he is instrumental in positioning TM to be the National Telecommunication Infrastructure Provider or InfraCo towards preparing the group at the forefront of the nation’s 5G infrastructure roll-out.

Meanwhile, TM said they happily welcomed Bakke, who is a highly respected corporate figure with extensive experience and is known for upholding governance and integrity, as their new chairman.

“He brings a wealth of industry and commercial insights, which will broaden and enrich the board's overall expertise. We look forward to [Bakke’s] guidance, counsel and leadership as the company continues on its transformation journey and next phase of growth.

“This is in keeping to our institution being the key enabler of Malaysia’s Digital Nation aspiration, by delivering on our promise towards Making Life and Business Easier for a Better Malaysia,” they said.

Shares in TM closed 1.68% or seven sen higher at RM4.25, giving it a market capitalisation of RM16.01 billion.