Anwar Syahrin, former CEO of Malakoff and UEM Sunrise, passes away

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 27): Anwar Syahrin Abdul Ajib (pictured), the former chief executive of Malakoff Corp Bhd (KL:MALAKOF) and UEM Sunrise Bhd (KL:UEMS), passed away early Friday.

Born in Kuala Lumpur, the 53-year-old will be laid to rest at the Bukit Kiara Muslim Cemetery following funeral rites and prayers at the Saidina Umar Al-Khattab Mosque at Bukit Damansara. He leaves behind his wife and four children.

Anwar Syahrin was the son of the late Datuk Abdul Ajib Ahmad and moved to Johor with his father who became the chief minister of the southern state. He later went to the elite Malay College Kuala Kangsar boarding school before pursuing an engineering degree at the Imperial College London, UK.

He returned to Malaysia to work in oil and gas company Shell as a transport executive for a short stint doing vehicle preventive maintenance. When his wife decided to further her studies in the UK, he went with her, and studied to become a chartered accountant.

His accounting career kicked off with the now-defunct global audit firm Arthur Andersen, before moving to Port of Tanjung Pelepas as the chief financial officer in 2006.

In 2014, he became the CFO of MMC Corporation Bhd, the utilities and infrastructure controlled by tycoon Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary.

He took the helm of UEM Sunrise in 2014, just a few months after the merger between government-linked company UEM Land Holdings Bhd and Sunrise Bhd was completed, and spent the next six years at the enlarged property developer.

He joined Malakoff as the chief executive officer from December 2020 before stepping down in September 2025 to pursue other opportunities. The company thanked him for his "invaluable contributions and leadership" in a statement.

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