KTMB reappoints Rani Hisham as CEO

 

The reappointment of Rani Hisham as KTMB CEO had come under fire from the rail workers’ union.

PETALING JAYA: Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) has announced the appointment of Mohd Rani Hisham Samsudin as its chief executive officer.

This is a second stint for Rani, 58, who had previously served as KTMB CEO from September 2017 to September 2019.

In a statement today, KTMB chairman Rameli Musa said Rani would start his role as CEO with immediate effect, replacing Kamarulzaman Zainal, whom the company said ended his service yesterday (Nov 30), after holding the post for more than a year.

“The appointment of the new chief executive officer comes with challenges, at a time the company is facing a significant drop in passenger volume due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

KTMB CEO Mohd Rani Hisham Samsudin.

“He will have to ensure that the company’s future development plans are implemented immediately, in line with the current scenario, including the agenda of operational and asset payments, strengthening organisational structure and management and optimising its corporate values as the country’s main rail transport provider,” he said.

After leaving KTMB last year, Rani was appointed CEO of Kontena Nasional Bhd.

Rani’s reappointment as CEO also comes in the wake of protests by the KTMB workers’ union which had got wind of the impending change at the helm of the company a few weeks earlier.

On Nov 12, union president Abdul Razak Md Hassan told FMT that they had received information that Kamarulzaman’s contract, which was due to end on Oct 21, 2021, will be terminated at the end of the month.

He said the union was against any plan to replace Kamarulzaman with Rani, and made an appeal to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to intervene in the matter. - FMT