KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Mani Usilappan has been appointed as an independent and non-executive director of Al-'Aqar KPJ REIT, the fund said in a Bursa filing on Monday, Nov 1.

The 60-year-old, who also sits on the board of Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd, was previously the director general of Jabatan Penilaian dan Pengurusan Harta from 2005 to 2006 after his promotion from the post of deputy director general, which he had held from 1996 to 2005.

Starting his career as a valuation officer in 1971, he was appointed the Kelantan state director of valuation in 1979, before becoming Kedah state director in 1981 and Johor state director in 1984.

In 1991, he was appointed as the director of Institut Penilaian Negara (Inspen). He then assumed the post of director of Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur in 1996.

He had passed the final examinations for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in 1976 and passed the training manager's course at Thames Valley University United Kingdom in 1992.

 He obtained a a Masters in property development from Southbank University London.
SHARE