31/1/07 (The Star)  - KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) announced the appointment of Datuk Sabri Ahmad as its new chairman effective from Jan 1.

He succeeds the late Tan Sri Basir Ismail, who served as the first chairman of MPOB from 2000 until December 31, 2006.

Sabri holds a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of London and has attended the International Studies at the University of Rhode Island and management programmes at the Oxford University. 

Sabri who is the group chief executive of Golden Hope Plantations Bhd since 2004, held several positions within the group including the group director Agro Business and group director overseas operations and marketing. 

Prior to joining Golden Hope in 1985, he was attached to the Ministry of Agriculture. 

He was chairman of the Malaysian Palm Oil Association, a member of MPOB’s Programme Advisory Committee since 1996, the committee that is responsible for the endorsement of research programmes for implementation by MPOB.

In a statement issued here, Datuk Sabri expressed his appreciation to the government, in particular, the Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui for the appointment.

“I hope under my stewardship of the MPOB, the governing body of the Malaysian palm oil industry, the organisation would be able to cater to the needs of the industry more efficiently, especially in terms of research and development.”

MPOB is the premier government agency under the purview of the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities to develop the oil palm industry through research and development and excellent services.