KUALA LUMPUR: A Telekom Malaysia Bhd union has no problem with an “outsider” replacing group chief executive officer (CEO) and managing director Tan Sri Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa, who will leave the post this month.
However, the National Union of Telecommunication Employees (Nute) would prefer the successor to be someone from within TM, said its president Jafar Abd Majid.
NUTE is the union representing TM’s non-executives in Peninsular Malaysia.
Rumours are rife that the post would be a “friendly contest” between Axiata Group Bhd regional chief executive officer for Southeast Asia Datuk Seri Shazalli Ramly and TM group chief financial officer Datuk Bazlan Osman.
Jafar said NUTE believed the appointment, be it “internal or external”, would be in the best interest of TM.
However, it prefers someone who has been working side-by-side with Zamzamzairani.
An internal candidate would understand the structure of the company’s operations well, he added.
“It is not for us to say who is the better CEO candidate right now, but we believe that an internal candidate will be most ideal for TM. But whoever is appointed, we believe that it will be in the best interest of TM and we hope the new CEO will continue the TM legacy,” he told NST Business yesterday.
An analyst said it was about time TM had a CEO with a big personality and who could bring excitement to the company.
“This would be timely, especially since TM is attempting to carve out a share in the mobile telecommunications space with webe.
“(Shazalli) is a man with lots of ideas in contrast to TM’s present leadership that is seen as old-fashioned,” said the analyst.
Another analyst said Shazalli also brought out speculation of a possible Axiata-TM merger.