KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (Mier) has announced the appointment of Tan Sri Kamal Salih as its chairman with effect from April 2.
Kamal will replace Tan Sri Sulaiman Mahbob, who had been the chairman since 2012 and served as the second executive director of Mier succeeding Tan Sri Kamal in 1994.
Sulaiman will remain a member of the board after stepping down as chairman.
“Kamal is no stranger to Mier as he was the founding executive director of the institute, which was established in 1986 under the auspices of the Prime Minister's Economic Panel with the late Tun Ismail Ali, former governor of Bank Negara Malaysia and at the time chairman of Permodalan Nasional Bhd, serving as the first chairman of the Mier board of trustees,” said the research body in a statement today.
Kamal had served as the institute's executive director for eight years before resigning in 1994 to enter politics and start his own business.
He had also previously served in Universiti Sains Malaysia between 1973-85 as professor, dean and deputy VC (academic).
As a policy advisor, Kamal was a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Panel in 1981-86, the Malaysian Business Council 1991-1996, and acted as the rapporteur-general of the first National Economic Consultative Council, MAPEN1 1989- 1991 and last served as economic advisor on the National Implementation Task Force (NITF) in the Tun Abdullah Badawi administration 2006-08.
In politics, Kamal was elected Member of Parliament for Wangsa Maju from 1996 to 1999. In 1996, he established Yayasan Wangsa Maju now known as Yayasan Mahkota, and remains its Chairman until now.
In business he established the Sesama Group of Companies and Tenggara Oil Bhd.
He also founded the International Medical University, the first private medical school in the country.
He is currently adjunct professor of Economics and International Development at the Asia Europe Institute in Universiti Malaya.
“The board would like to acknowledge with gratitude the excellent contribution of Sulaiman as Mier's chairman and previously as executive director, and welcome the return of Kamal Salih,” Mier said.