PETALING JAYA: The Plantation and Commodities Ministry has appointed Mohamad Helmy Othman Basha as the chairman of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) effective Feb 1, 2023.

Mohamad Helmy is currently the group managing director of Sime Darby Plantation Bhd.

He is qualified with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), London, and commenced his career with Wellers Accountants, Oxford, United Kingdom. Upon his return to Malaysia in 1991, he worked in Shell Malaysia Group of Companies.

He left Sime Darby Plantation in 2013 to pursue his own interests before rejoining the group in 2016 where he served in several key positions before assuming his current position in 2019.

He is currently the president of Malayan Agricultural Producers Association (MAPA), and chairman of the Malaysian Palm Oil Association’s Research & Development Main Committee.

He is also a member of Malaysian Palm Oil Council’s Board of Trustees,

a member of the Incorporated Society of Planters, a Fellow of the ACCA and a Member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants.

MPOB’s director general Datuk Dr. Ahmad Parveez Hj Ghulam Kadir said the management of MPOB is confident that Mohamad Helmy’s extensive experience in the palm oil sector will help improve the sustainable development of the country’s palm oil sector.