PENANG, 1 April 2009: Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has appointed former banker Julian Candiah as his special advisor today.
Lim announced today that Candiah would also be hired as Deputy General Manager I of the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) with both positions effective today.
“The appointment of Candiah is to assist the state in developing its key economic initiatives as these initiatives have been identified as the critical future economic growth drivers for the state,” he told reporters after the state executive council meeting, here, today.
He said Candiah, 41, had agreed to help the state’s industrial development efforts as part of “national service”.
Lim said although the appointment would not be for a long period, it would certainly help to revive the state’s weak manufacturing industry.
Bukit Mertajam-born Candiah’s last known position was in Singapore as director and head of US investment bank Merrill Lynch’s debt client business for Malaysia and Thailand. Merrill Lynch has been taken over by the Bank of America.
Before that, Candiah had worked at BNP Paribas Singapore for six years.
Lim said the state government wanted to focus on key industrial sectors such as infrastructure, high technology, biotechnology, medical sciences, venture capital, halal hub-related and tourism, to transform Penang into “an international city that is globally competitive, based on excellence and the knowledge-based economy”.
“The state will seek to work with various technology and intellectual capital partners in Malaysia and internationally, notably China and the Middle East, to embark on various projects in these key industrial areas,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lim who is also DAP secretary-general, said he would be attending the swearing-in of Datuk Seri Najib Razak as the new prime minister of Malaysia at Istana Negara on Friday after receiving the invitation from the federal government today.
He hoped that Najib would fulfil his commitment to eradicate corruption in the country. — Bernama
