Telekom Malaysia gets a new chairman replacing Rosli Man who joined the telecommunication giant in December 2018. The government linked company announced the appointment of Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Mohd Bakke Salleh a well known corporate figure who led Sime Darby.

Aged 65, Tan Sri Bakke holds a Bachelor of Science (Economics) degree from the London School of Economics and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

He is currently the Chairman of Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA) a position he held since 1 July 2019. Prior to that he was the Acting Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and President at Sime Darby Berhad in July 2010 and later confirmed in the position in November 2010. Post-demerger of Sime Darby Group in November 2017, he was appointed Executive Deputy Chairman & Managing Director (MD) of Sime Darby Plantation Berhad until his retirement at the end of June 2019.

Chairman posts in GLC are determined by the ruling government as such the changes are bound to occur when a new Prime Minister helms the nation. There were furors among the corporate industry when rumours came about that Pakatan Nasional preferred political appointees to GLC’s, however with the appointment of Tan Sri Bakke, PN shows that’s not the case.

Before joining Sime Darby Berhad in July 2010, Tan Sri Bakke was the Group Managing Director of Felda Holdings Bhd in 2005 and subsequently, the Group President and CEO of Felda Global Ventures Holdings  in January 2009.