SHAH ALAM: Deftech New CEO. DRB-HICOM Defence Technologies Sdn Bhd (Deftech) – Malaysia’s largest land defence company – has a new chief executive officer (CEO). Mohammad Shanaz was appointed as Deftech CEO effective on September 15. Mohammad’s appointment was first made public by the organiser of the Defence Services Asia exhibition on its social media post on Sept 27.

An accountant by training, Mohammad replaced Mohd Fazley Ariffin, who was appointed to the post on March 1, 2020. Like Fazley, Mohammad came from the DRB-Hicom group of companies. He was the chief operating officer cum company head of DRB-Hicom Auto Solutions Sdn Bhd (DHAS).

Mohammad’s appointment to Deftech came as its dominance in the land sector remained in a flux as it is being challenged by smaller start-ups together with the whims and fancies of the politicians.

Furthermore, despite our small investment in national security, the politicians remained committed to increase the number of companies involved in the defence industry. Even when most of them are simply marketing agents like the former direct procurement agents (DPAs -which are no longer around following the decision to have open tenders) and nothing more. And now it appears that even real estate will also be part of the defence and security industry.

Anyhow, it is interesting to see how an accountant will navigate Deftech through the maze that is the Malaysian procurement world with its own set of rules together with the whim and fancies of politicians. The former CEO had done considerably well despite the challenges faced.

— Malaysian Defence

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