OUR PEOPLE

Dato’ Prof. Dr.Sudin, aged 69, had an illustrious career with the government as well as the corporate sector. Prof Sudin has also established his own business. His final assignment with the government when he was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Malaysian Awqaf Foundation (2014-2019).  

Prof Sudin has spent 16 years of his life as an academician. He was with University Utara Malaysia (UUM) from 1989 to 2004 and prior to this appointment, Prof Sudin has spent 13 years of his early employment years with Bank Bumiputara Malaysia Berhad.  He has been recognised as one of the world’s renowned scholars in Islamic banking &finance and business & management.  He has published more than 10 books and 70 articles in international journals.  Currently he is the Professor with the Saito University College, with the responsibility of expanding Saito’s market to Indonesia. 

Dato’ Sudin was the founding CEO of Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Nasional (PTPTN).  He was previously attached to Central Bank of Malaysia as a Specialist in the Islamic Banking and Takaful Department from 2005 to 2006, and in 2007, he was appointed as Deputy Chief Executive of INCEIF (International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance  He was an independent non-executive  director of CIMB Islamic Bank Berhad from 2015 to 2017. In corporate sector, Dato’ Prof Dr.Sudin had been appointed as member of various corporations.  He was a board member of Melati Ehsan Berhad, CIMB Islamic Bank Berhad, and Social Security Organization, Malaysia. At the international level, Dato’ Prof. Dr  Sudin was previously the Chairman of the International Advisory Panel of the Russian Interna­tional Centre for Islamic Economics and Finance, and in several occasions, was appointed by Islamic Development Bank, Jeddah as their resource person in training related to Islamic banking and finance. Prof Sudin also used to share his expertise by conducting training programmes in Indonesia. Many Indonesian bankers benefited from his knowledge and experience.

Dato’ Prof Sudin has made an important contribution to the world by writing a landmark text book entitled “Islamic Banking and Finance System”, and this book is also available in Russian, Mandarin and Uzbekistan versions. Dato’ Professor Dr. Sudin obtained his Bachelor in Economics – General degree and Bachelor of Economics (Accounting) (Hons.) from the National University of Malaysia (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia). He obtained his Master of Business Administration from Northrop University, USA, and PhD from University of New England, Australia.

In order to keep fit, Prof Sudin is a vivid cycler and always spending his free time cycling around the country. Due to his skills and expertise, Minister of Education of Malaysia has appointed him as the Chairman of Board of Directors of Universiti Utara Malaysia from October 2018 to September 2021. In October 2019, Dato’ Sudin was appointed by the Prime Minister Department to sit on the Board of Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad. This appointment ended September 2021.

Mr. Yeo holds a bachelor’s degree in actuarial science and has over 15 years of experience in the banking and financial services industry. He began as a Fund Specialist at Royal Bank Canada (RBC), specializing in diversified derivatives and fund performance projection.

Progressing his career, he joined the AmBank Group as a Risk Model Specialist, responsible for assessing models, analysing assumptions, and ensuring effective governance.

Seeking a deeper understanding of consumer needs, Mr. Yeo joined OCBC Bank, where he managed risk portfolios and developed risk analytics for credit policies, risk distribution, and bank performance. He excelled in, optimizing risk or reward equations, identifying opportunities, and mitigating risks.

Since 2016, he has been the Group Investment Director at a private equity company, overseeing diverse business interests in banking, finance, capital management, property development, and technology-driven sectors.  As the Executive Director at ConnectCounty Holdings Berhad, he focuses on restructuring, diversification, and corporate exercises. Mr. Yeo’s expertise and strategic acumen drive key investment decisions, shaping the future of the company.

In 2023, he serves as the Managing Director cum CEO in Arkwood Trustee (M) Berhad, providing visionary leadership and developing corporate strategies to position the organization competitively in the market.

Encik Mohd Dzarfan Bin Khalid graduated with a master’s degree in Corporate Administration from Glasgow Caledonian University, UK in 2001. He also earned an Advanced Diploma in Business and Management from Swansee Institute of Higher Education, UK in 1997 and a Diploma in Accountancy from Mara Institute of Technology in 1994. He has over 23 years’ experience in financial services and banking industry.

He began his career as a Senior Dealer in 1995 with BBMB Discount House Berhad under the Money Market division. There, he was promoted to Vice President before leaving to join Affin Investment Bank Bhd under the Treasury and Investment division. Subsequently, he joined the Treasury of U-Mobile Sdn Bhd as Vice President in 2004. From 2009 to 2011, Encik Mohd Dzarfan served as the Chief Operating Officer at Symphony Advance Sdn Bhd. Following that, he spent four years at SME Development Bank as the Head of Money Market and Corporate Investment under the Treasury and Investment Department. Finally, in February 2015, Encik Mohd Dzarfan was appointed as the Chief Investment Officer. After serving as the Executive Chairman of Rakyat Trustee Berhad, he assumed the role of Chairman at Koperasi Maal Nizami Selangor Berhad. Presently, he continues to hold this position, overseeing the investment management of a portfolio worth RM500 million.

Besides his wide experience in the banking sector, he also has vast experience in the corporate sector, money exchange sector, cooperative sector, telecommunications sector, and agriculture sector.

His responsibilities include providing a 5-year strategic plan and annual business plan; planning, organising, and monitoring the performance of financing activities and financial services provided by CBP; ensuring all banking operations are carried out on a regular basis in accordance with the established policies and procedures; ensuring the activities of banking operations provide optimal returns and profits to bank, accessing and analysing the effectiveness of financial products and services to clients and members.

Encik Mohd Dzarfan is a license holder for Money Market Dealer and has an Investor Protection Professional Certification under Persatuan Pasaran Kewangan Malaysia and Institut Bank of Bank Malaysia.

In 2023, he serves on the Board of Directors at Arkwood Trustee (M) Berhad, providing legal guidance to the organization by advising on the legal implications of business decisions and actions. Additionally, he establishes mechanisms for continuously monitoring legal and regulatory changes, ensuring timely updates to policies and procedures.

En Khalili Bin Buyong graduated from University Kebangsaan Malaysia in 1990 with a degree in economics. With 35 years of experience in supervision of banks, cooperatives, money services business, and internal audits, En Khalili has proven himself to be a dedicated and proactive financial and banking professional.

He started his career with Bank Negara Malaysia in 1983 under the Supervision Department where he acted as both team member and team leader in the examination of commercial banks, finance companies, investment banks, and development financial institutions for 30 years. He was involved in the investigation of Rakyat Merchant Bank and cooperative fiasco, as well as in the currency control exercise at the Johor Baharu Custom, Immigration, and Quarantine.

During the years 2011 to 2012, he was seconded to Suruhanjaya Koperasi Malaysia (SKM), contributing significantly to the transformation of audits in accordance with the National Audit Department of Bank Negara Malaysia. He was also actively involved in the operationalization of the new 2011 Money Services Act, focusing on enhancing Anti-Money Laundering and Company Money Transmission measures. In addition, from 2015 to 2019, he served as the Chief Risk Officer at CoopBank Pertama (CBP).

In 2023, he serves on the Board of Directors at Arkwood Trustee (M) Berhad. In this capacity, he oversees the identification, assessment, and mitigation of potential risks, ensuring the implementation of effective strategies to safeguard the organization’s assets and objectives.

Dr Jayden Liew has 20 years of working experience as a specialist in finance and analytics. He is holding a Ph.D. in Economics and bachelor’s degree in Statistics and currently a Finance Director with Arkwood Trustee (M) Berhad.

Dr Liew started his initial career in 2003 as an operation executive in shipping and logistics industries. Dr Liew have more than 10 years of experience involved in research and analytics, risks and compliance with gaming and entertainment industry, banking, and research company. His attachment in these industries has gained him valuable experiences and techniques in SAS software – SAS Enterprise Guide, SAS Enterprise Miner, and SAS Base, as well as knowledge in risk management and regulatory compliance.

Dr Liew was an Assistant Professor in Economics with UTAR Perak Campus where he has taught Economics, International Trade and Quantitative Technique. He did research focus on Finance, FinTech, Blockchain and Big Data / Data Analytics and he also obtained PSMB (HRDF) Certified Trainer and Certified SAS Predictive Modeler.

Prior to his current job, Dr Liew has deep experience involved in e-wallet technology, mobile app, digital assets and blockchain applications projects. With his knowledge in analytics and risk, he is holding the key role in projects’ day-to-day operations and in charge of risk mitigation and regulatory compliance of the projects.

In 2023, he serves as the Finance Director in Arkwood Trustee (M) Berhad, showcasing expertise as a strategic finance leader adept in framework setup, resource allocation, project management, compliance, and providing decisive decision support.