JOHOR BAHRU, 23 MARCH 2023: Kulim (Malaysia) Berhad (KULIM) has consolidated all of its plantation business under its subsidiary Johor Plantations Berhad (formerly known as Mahamurni Plantations Sdn Bhd).

The move is a result of a business transformation at KULIM which involves Johor Plantations managing KULIM’s landbank of more than 60,000 ha, 23 estates, five mills, and trading & services activities in Malaysia, including its renewable energy initiatives comprising a biomethane plant and five biogas plants.

The renaming of the subsidiary’s name to Johor Plantations is in line with its vision to be widely recognised as an integrated plantation company that produces high-quality, sustainable, and traceable speciality oils and fats. The new name gives the company a sense of origin since its estates, mills and operations are almost entirely located in the state of Johor. This includes the close business relationship the company has with Johor smallholders.

Johor Plantations has appointed Mohd Faris Adli Shukery as its Managing Director. He joined KULIM in October 2020 as Managing Director and was tasked to spearhead its reorganisation and transformation agenda. Mohd Faris will also continue with KULIM as a Non-Independent Non-Executive Director.

Tan Sri Dr Ismail Bakar, who was appointed as the Chairman of KULIM in May 2022, will lead the Johor Plantations board of directors. The 10-person board of directors comprises four non- independent directors and six independent directors.

The four non-independent directors are Tan Sri Dr Ismail Bakar, Mohd Faris Adli Shukery, Dato’ Sr. Hisham Jafrey and Shamsul Anuar Abdul Majid. The six independent directors are Abdullah Abu Samah, Fawzi Ahmad, Mohd Fazillah Kamaruddin, Ong Li Lee, Norita Ja’afar, and Vinie Chong Pui Ling. The board of directors brings together various backgrounds and experts in fields such as sustainability practitioner, regulatory and compliance, financial management, commercial, and strategic planning.

The reorganisation is a part of KULIM’s ongoing five-year business transformation to be a progressive, efficient, profitable, and respectable agribusiness company in the region. It also establishes KULIM as the agribusiness group of its parent company Johor Corporation (JCorp).

Under the restructuring, KULIM’s agrofood segment, which includes agro farming and livestock operations, is placed under Farmbyte Sdn Bhd (FarmByte) and managed by Chief Executive Officer Syed Aiman Syed Jaafar.

With the reorganisation, stakeholders and customers can expect the same high level of service from Johor Plantations and FarmByte that they have come to expect from KULIM.