Ready to serve: Amir Hamzah taking his oath in Parliament yesterday. — Bernama
New Finance Minister II wants to raise country’s profile again
PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan may have worn many corporate hats but his latest role as a federal minister could be the most keenly watched.
The technocrat will be jointly handling the country’s finances with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in his capacity as the Second Finance Minister, at a time when the global economy is facing headwinds.
His appointment was a surprise, given that earlier talk had it that a politician would be filling the post.
Amir Hamzah, 56, has held top leadership positions in many major firms including government-linked companies.
The most recent was as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), a post he had held since March 1, 2021.
Amir Hamzah’s career began with the Shell Group of Companies, where he served for 10 years in various capacities in Malaysia, Singapore and the United Kingdom.
He joined MISC Bhd in 2000 and took on several senior management portfolios before being appointed president and CEO in January 2009.
He was subsequently appointed as the managing director/CEO of PETRONAS Dagangan Bhd in June 2010.
In March 2016, he joined Icon Offshore Bhd, a subsidiary of Ekuiti Nasional Bhd (Ekuinas), as managing director and CEO.
He was later appointed to Khazanah Nasional Bhd’s subsidiary, Themed Attractions Resorts and Hotels Sdn Bhd, as its group CEO.
In April 2019, he joined Tenaga Nasional Bhd as its president/CEO. He is currently the non-executive chairman of Malaysian Resources Corporation Bhd, and also sits on the boards of Sime Darby Plantation Bhd and Sime Darby Oils International Ltd.
Amir Hamzah holds a Bachelor of Science in Management (specialisation in Finance and Economics) from Syracuse University in the United States. He has also attended the Stanford Executive Programme at the famed American university.
Reinstating Malaysia to its previous heights would be Amir Hamzah’s focus following his appointment as the Second Finance Minister.
“We want to raise Malaysia to where it was before. We were a strong and formidable economy.
“God willing, we will get support from the people and all existing agencies to rebuild Malaysia,” he said after the swearing-in ceremony at Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
He said it is important to understand which areas require transformation.
“With the support of all our officers and agencies, we can identify which areas need to be prioritised, together.
“From there, we will move forward,” added Amir Hamzah, whose father is the late Tun Azizan Zainul Abidin, a former chairman, president and CEO of PETRONAS.
