Azman Mokhtar appointed as Tabung Haji chairman

KUALA LUMPUR: Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar has been appointed as the new chairman of Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH), effective today.

TH is confident that Azman will contribute towards steering the haj pilgrims fund board to success amid the challenges posed by the pandemic.

"Azman is well known for having led the revamp of Khazanah Nasional Bhd and the GLC Transformation Programme as the managing director from 2004 to 2018," TH group managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Amrin Awaluddin said in a statement.

The appointment of Azman is expected to further drive its ongoing efforts to become an Islamic institution respected for its performance and governance, in line with its mandate of facilitating Malaysian Muslims to save for the purpose of the haj.

Azman has also played a pivotal role in driving the success of leading Malaysian organisations which include Khazanah Nasional, Axiata Group Bhd, Iskandar Investment Bhd and IHH Healthcare Bhd.

His recent appointments include the chairman of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, the chairman of the International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF) and as a member of the National Recovery Council.

Azman holds a Master of Philosophy in Development Studies from Darwin College, Cambridge University as a Chevening scholar and a diploma in Islamic Studies from International Islamic University Malaysia.

He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst holder and a Fellow of the Association of Chartered and Certified Accountants.

On TH development, Amrin said it has taken and continues to take various transformation initiatives to strengthen and ensure its sustainability, with a focus on the haj administration.

"TH is committed to ensuring its sustainability by developing a Strategic Plan to support transformation efforts. The plan, Hijrah24, will be driven by five key thrusts and supported by 24 strategic initiatives that will begin next year.

"At the same time, TH will continue to cooperate with the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI). This is expected to strengthen its governance and internal controls further to protect TH and its depositors, as well as to provide sustainable returns to depositors," he said.

TH expresses gratitude and appreciation to Tan Sri Md Nor Yusof, who stepped down as chairman recently after holding the position since July 10, 2018.

During his leadership, TH has strengthened its financial position, with total deposits growing to RM81.41 billion as at 30 June, 2021, the highest level since TH was established 58 years ago.

-- BERNAMA