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Emmanuel Samarathisa · · 2 min readMicrosoft’s Malaysia COO poised to lead MDEC: sources
Microsoft Malaysia’s chief operating officer, Azizah Ali, is reportedly among the top candidates to assume the role of CEO at the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), sources familiar with the matter tell Tech in Asia.
Established in 1996, MDEC is the agency responsible for implementing Malaysia’s digital policies. It manages initiatives like the digital nomad visa and provides funding to startups and SMEs in the tech sector.
The Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation headquarters in Cyberjaya / Photo credit: MDEC
More recently, the agency has been tasked to discover potential unicorns in the country.
Sources also noted that the entity’s next CEO will be expected not only to implement government policies but also to engage effectively with foreign investors to capture investments and communicate those outcomes to the public.
Azizah is one of three candidates under consideration. The other two are Dzuleira Abu Bakar, the former CEO of research agency Mranti, and Shah Sidek of the International Data Centre Authority.
One source indicated that Azizah is currently the top contender, though they cautioned that the list is not final and could change before an official announcement is made.
Incumbent CEO Mahadhir Aziz is not expected to have his contract renewed, sources said.
His tenure, initially set to end last year, was extended to accommodate a shift in MDEC’s reporting structure. Following Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s cabinet reshuffle in December 2023, MDEC is now reporting to the newly established Digital Ministry.
That said, the Finance Ministry holds a golden share in MDEC, giving it ultimate authority over appointments to the agency’s board and certain management positions, including that of the CEO.
MDEC did not respond to Tech in Asia’s request for comment, though CEO Mahadhir told us to “wait for his announcement.”
Editing by Collin Furtado and Jaclyn Tiu
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Two other candidates are also being considered for the top post as discussions are ongoing.
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