KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has appointed Professor Dr Mohd Faiz Abdullah as the chairman of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (Isis) Malaysia for a three-year term effective Feb 17.
Faiz was appointed due to his extensive experience in public policy and research.
He was also a journalist with the New Straits Times before moving on to law enforcement and legal studies.
"I wish to express my profound thanks to the prime minister for entrusting me with the responsibility of helming Isis Malaysia.
"With Malaysia Madani as the guiding philosophy of nationhood, Malaysia is well poised to take on a larger role in the international arena and we're here to advance that agenda and help realise our global aspirations," he said.
Faiz was a special adviser on international policy and affairs with the Selangor government, and later an adviser in strategic and international relations in the Economic Affairs and International Trade and Industry Ministries.
He served as a senior research fellow and director at the Institute for Policy Studies from 1996 to 2008.
Faiz also co-founded the World Forum for Muslim Democrats in 2009, with Anwar as the chairman, dedicated to providing a vibrant platform for public intellectuals to discourse on Islam, reform, democracy and governance.
The prime minister also appointed Foreign Ministry secretary-general Datuk Amran Mohamed Zain, Finance Ministry secretary-general Datuk Johan Mahmood Merican, Defence Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Muez Abd Aziz, Professor Dr Mohamed Aslam Mohamed Haneef from the International Islamic University Malaysia, Professor Dr Rozanah Ab Rahman from Universiti Putra Malaysia and Strand Aerospace chief executive officer Naguib Mohd Nor the to ISIS Malaysia board of directors.
Anwar also agreed to the appointment of V. Raman Narayanan of the Sunway Group and ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute visiting senior fellow Professor Dr Tham Siew Yean to the board.