KUALA LUMPUR: Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif will be the new PETRONAS Property Adviser, effective Nov 17.
Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar said that her term as mayor, which was originally scheduled to run from Aug 15, 2024, to Aug 14, 2026, will now end on Nov 14, 2025.
“The decision was made to allow Maimunah to take up a senior post at a national GLC, where she is expected to spearhead projects to develop new landmarks in the capital.”
PETRONAS issued a statement last night, confirming Maimunah’s appointment, which will see her guide the company in shaping the next phase of growth in its property portfolio, primarily with regards to Sungai Besi land, Kota Madani as well as other development properties.
Throughout her one-year tenure at the helm of DBKL, Maimunah was credited with strengthening governance, modernising service delivery and transforming financial management.
Earlier, highly placed sources in the government confirmed that Maimunah was expected to be reassigned to a new role soon.
Several senior officials familiar with the matter said her reassignment would likely involve a strategic advisory position within a government-linked entity, focusing on property management and land development.
“I have no idea what is happening. I don’t know anything about it. I’ve heard the talk. I have no further comments about it right now,” she said when contacted on Wednesday.
“She’s a competent and experienced administrator, and a good town planner.
“This job suits her expertise and capacity perfectly,” said one source, describing her as a natural fit for the upcoming role.
The reasons for her change in position remain unclear, but insiders have indicated the remuneration package for the new post is substantially higher.
Meanwhile, talk is rife that Maimunah’s successor will be Putrajaya Corporation president Datuk Fadhlun Mak Ujud, who has been at the helm since June 1, 2022.
Maimunah, 64, has had a long and distinguished career in local government and urban planning.
She made history in August last year when she became Kuala Lumpur’s 15th mayor and the first woman to helm the capital city.
Under her leadership, Kuala Lumpur strengthened its international credentials, earning designation as a Unesco Creative City of Design in 2025, a recognition of the city’s growing innovation and creativity.
Before taking up the city’s top post, she served as Malaysia’s Special Envoy on Sustainable Urbanisation and previously held one of the nation’s highest international appointments as executive director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) from 2018 to 2024, where she championed inclusive and sustainable city planning at the global level.
As Kuala Lumpur mayor, Maimunah introduced several sustainability-driven initiatives, aligning City Hall’s policies with environmental and liveability goals while strengthening collaboration with international urban networks.
She replaced Datuk Seri Kamarulzaman Mat Salleh, whose tenure ended in August last year.
