Corporate
Management Team
Tuan Muhtar Suhaili
Chief Executive OfficerTuan Muhtar Suhaili
Muhtar Bin Suhaili was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) effective 1 November 2020. Muhtar holds a Master’s degree in Petroleum Technology from Curtin University of Technology Australia, and a Bachelor’s degree in Mechatronics Engineering from the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM). He is a Professional Technologist and currently pursuing his Doctoral Degree (PhD) in Business Administration.Prior to joining MTC, Muhtar was the Lead Project Engineer in Shell Malaysia where he worked for 15 years, and with Perodua Auto Corporation Sdn Bhd prior to that. He had also served as the Chairman of Malaysian Palm Oil Certification Council (MPOCC).
Muhtar brings with him extensive knowledge in managing mega projects, business planning, business improvement initiatives, manpower planning and human resource development. Having work exposure in The Netherlands and Germany, he also has experience in managing engineering design offices.
Muhtar intends to utilize his vast experience and knowledge within various industries and multinational organisations in enhancing MTC’s efforts in bringing the Malaysian timber industry to greater heights.
Roger Chin
Chief Operations OfficerRoger Chin
Prior to his appointment as MTC’s Chief Operations Officer on 1 March 2020, Roger Chin was attached to Advance Information Marketing Berhad where he served as its Executive Director since January 2018.A Bachelor of Law graduate from the University of Wolverhampton, United Kingdom, Roger Chin, brings with him more than 25 years of experience in the financial services sector with international banks specialising in consumer, corporate and Islamic banking.
His career in the banking industry started in 1993 with Standard Chartered Bank where he was seconded to its regional team in Singapore serving in various Asian countries including Indonesia, Philippines, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. He had also held senior management positions in Citibank, GE Capital, Hong Leong Bank and Kuwait Finance House.
INDUSTRY SERVICES
Mokhtar Yaacob
DirectorIndustry Development Division
Mokhtar Yaacob
Mokhtar Yaacob joined MTC in 1996 as an officer at the Raw Material Supply Division. However, he left MTC in 2000 but rejoined in 2011 as a Senior Executive in the same division. He was promoted to Manager of the Industry Development Division in 2018.A graduate with a BSc in Forestry (Forest Management) from Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (now known as Universiti Putra Malaysia), Mokhtar has experience in both upstream and downstream processes of timber manufacturing. He has also been part of many missions which involved raw material sourcing.
Alexis Chang
DirectorMarket Promotion Division
Alexis Chang
Alexis Chang graduated from the University of Edith Cowan in Perth, Australia, with a degree in Business. She possessed extensive experience in international trade, industry relations, communications as well as marketing and promotions, while working with a wide spectrum of stakeholders from various industries. She has served in MTC in various positions and has been involved in project managements, forestry and policy matters related to the timber industry as well as discussions on legality and sustainability compliance such as FLEGT VPA, amongst others.
Tan Ting Wai
DirectorInternational Business Development Division - Cluster 1 (East Asia, Europe & America)
Tan Ting Wai
Tan Ting Wai joined MTC on 10 October 1994 and is the Regional Head of MTC Guangzhou. He started his career in MTC as an officer in the Management Information System (MIS) Unit. Prior to the MTC Guangzhou posting, he held the position of Manager in the Public & Corporate Affairs Division from 1997-2012. In October 2012, he was assigned to Guangzhou, China, and helped set up MTC Guangzhou as a wholly own foreign enterprise, responsible for trade promotion and marketing. Tan Ting Wai graduated with a Degree in Computer Science from Campbell University from North Carolina, USA, in 1994.
Khairul Anwar
DirectorInternational Business Development Division - Cluster 2 (South Asia, Middle East & Africa)
Khairul Anwar
Khairul graduated with a BBA in International Business from Northwood University (USA) and holds an MBA in Strategic Management from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. Khairul started his career with MTC in 2008 as the Regional Director of MTC Dubai office and subsequently as Director of Market Promotion Division. His current role as Regional Head of MTC Bangalore involves exploring trade promotion potentials within the South Asia region. Khairul has more than 15 years of experience working in multinational companies which specialised in marketing, business development, projects and customer service spanning over the logistic, automotive and commodities industries.
Noraihan Abdul Rahman
DirectorCorporate Communications Division
Noraihan Abdul Rahman
Noraihan Abdul Rahman graduated with a degree in Business Administration majoring in Marketing from the University of Arizona, USA, in 1994. She started her career in MTC in 1995 as an officer in the Market Promotion Division before being appointed as its Deputy Director in 2010 where she assisted the Division’s Director in the planning and implementing trade promotion activities. She was appointed as the Acting Director of the Corporate Communications Division in 2018 before being promoted to Director on 1 June 2020.
Lau Li Har
DirectorStrategic Planning Division
Lau Li Har
Lau Li Har joined MTC in July 2000 after graduating from Universiti Putra Malaysia with a degree in Forestry majoring in Wood Industry. She later received her Master of Science in Techno-Economy from the same University in 2014. Prior to joining the Administration Division in January 2018, she was the Deputy Director of the Industry Development Division and was assisting the Division’s Director in planning and implementing projects to augment the supply of raw materials, expand the technology base of the industry and enhance the use of timber among local specifiers and manufacturers.OPERATIONS / SUPPORT
Philip Liew
Financial ControllerPhilip Liew
Philip Liew is a Chartered Accountant, C.A. (M) member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA). He is also a Fellow member of the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (FCCA). He joined MTC as a Financial Controller in September 2020.He started his career in accounting and finance dealing mainly in financial accounting, management accounting and budgeting before moving into the role of a finance business partner. With more than 25 years of experience in accounting and finance, Philip has extensive knowledge in billing and revenue assurance systems implementation, performance analysis reporting, cost optimisation and process improvement exercise.
Prior to joining MTC, he was attached to corporations such as Maxis, Astro, Telekom Malaysia, and Altel Telecommunications.
Andrea Lim
HeadInternal Audit Unit
Andrea Lim
Educated in Australia, Andrea Lim holds a Bachelor of Business from Curtin University in Western Australia and a Bachelor of Laws from The University of Adelaide, South Australia. Admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor in the Supreme Court of South Australia and an Advocate of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak, Andrea also has more than two decades of operations, risk management and audit experience in the banking industry. She also holds certificates in Islamic Banking, Valuation and Risk, and Credit, and is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist and a Chartered Banker.Prior to joining MTC in September 2020, she was the Regional Head of Operational Risk Audit with HSBC in Hong Kong and the Country Head of Operational Risk and Country Head of Internal Audit for HSBC Malaysia. She has also held risk management roles in the Bank of Communications, China, and the Bank of Shanghai.
Edward Tan
HeadInvestment Unit
Edward Tan
Edward Tan holds a B.Sc. (Hons) in Applied Economics from the University of Ulster, United Kingdom. He worked at Hong Leong Bank Bhd for seven years before joining MTC in July 1999 as an Investment Executive. Together with MTC’s Investment Management Committee, Tan oversees MTC’s Endowment Fund investments to ensure a sustainable and long-term source of income for the Council. Tan also serves as secretariat to MTC’s Investment Management Committee and Internal Audit Committees. He is also MTC’s representative at MPIC’s Integrity Unit.
Jennyfer Lee
HeadHuman Resource Unit
Jennyfer Lee
Jennyfer Lee joined MTC in August 2000 as an Executive at the Trade Promotion and Marketing Division. In November 2015, she was transferred to the Human Resource and Administration Division (HRAD). Jennyfer was promoted to Senior Executive of HRAD in January 2017 and later as Manager in January 2018.Jennyfer graduated with a degree in Social Science & Arts (Economics) from University Malaya in 1999. She has also obtained a Diploma in Accounting in 1995 from the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) UK.
Jasvinder Singh
HeadLegal Unit
Jasvinder Singh
Jasvinder Singh read law at the University of Glamorgan in Wales, England. Admitted to the BAR at the High Court in Malaysia in 1990, Jasvinder was a practising lawyer in Malaysia for nine-and-a-half years after which he joined the corporate sector as an in-house legal counsellor for six years.Prior to joining MTC, Jasvinder was with Blondal Sdn Bhd and its group of companies, Cisco USA (Singapore) Pte Ltd and Hewlett Packard Asia Pacific (Singapore) Pte Ltd. He has vast experience in general litigation, IT laws and Ethics & Compliance as well as in investigating discount frauds and ethics issues involving employees, partners and distributors in Malaysia and the Asia Pacific region. He was appointed as Head of the Legal Unit in September 2020.
Faizal Shah Zainal Alam Shah
HeadAdministration Division
Faizal Shah Zainal Alam Shah
Faizal Shah Zainal Alam Shah joined MTC in December of 2011. A graduate of Information Technology (Hons) in Information Technology Management from Multimedia University, Faizal joined the Administration Division in April 2018.Prior to that, he was attached to MTC’s Market Promotion Division before moving to the Raw Material Supply and Industry Development Divisions, respectively. At these divisions, his primary task was to assist the Division Directors in planning and implementing projects to augment the supply of raw materials, expand the technology base as well as to enhance the use of timber among local specifiers and manufacturers.
Justin Choo
HeadInformation & Communications Technology Unit