X

New CEO at BHIC

Maharaja Lela was sprayed with sea water as part of the launch gimmick. This was the closest she got to the sea.

SHAH ALAM: New CEO at BHIC. Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation (BHIC), has appointed Sharifuddin Md Zaini Al-Manaf as its new chief executive officer effective on April 1, the company says. BHIC in a statement said Sharifuddin was the former CEO of Orkim Sdn Bhd, a Malaysian state owned investment company providing tanker shipping services in the Asia-Pacific region.

Sharifuddin, 50, hold a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering from Imperial College London and brings to Boustead a wealth of management experience amassed over more than 20 years working in the oil and gas and the shipping industries.

“BHIC is confident that with his experience and management capabilities, Sharifuddin will steer the organization through these challenging times and navigate it towards a path of profitability and growth, ” the company said.

New BHIC CEO Sharifuddin.

Shariffudin replaced Ahmad Ramli Mohd Nor, 75, a former RMN chief, who was the managing director of BHIC since 2005. Ahmad Ramli was redesignated from MD to a non-executive chairman in April, last year before resigning from that position in November. It is likely as part of restructuring of BHIC, the MD post is now redesignated as CEO. Malaysian Defence report on the changes at BHIC last year
Ahmad Ramli

As the CEO of BHIC, Sharifuddin will have to break the financial and technical log-jam of the LCS programme, with the first ship now only expected to be ready for service in 2023. Based on the conversations I had with industry sources, I am inclined to believe that the 2023 deadline will also be missed. For context read this
LCS PCU. Maharaja Lela. Her name could be seen on the stern. Picture taken on Aug. 25. 2017.

With the country hit by the economic tsunami as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is unlikely that the government can spare too much cash for the project. It is too big to fail though so perhaps Boustead may need to find another source of funding to complete the project and billed the government after all six ships are commissioned into service.
KD Keris

Apart from the LCS, the new BHIC CE0 will also have to deal with the soon to be ending Integrated Service and Support contract for the Prime Minister-class submarines. The previous administration had said the contract will be an open though restricted tender for the ISS contract when it lapsed next year. The change of government may favour BHIC JV but it is unlikely that another company can do the job even if an open tender is called. It will be just a matter of the government getting BHIC to agree to the price for the new ISS contract.


— Malaysian Defence

If you like this post, buy me an espresso. Paypal Payment
Marhalim Abas: Shah Alam

View Comments (23)

  • Tuan dan sesiapa yang tahu, adakah sekarang ini pembinaan keempat-empat hull LCS (LCS 1 - 4) masih berjalan walaupun masih menunggu komponen penting (IPMS) daripada syarikat America? Jika pembinaan hull ini masih berjalan ini bermakna keempat-empat hull LCS itu sudah 90% siap la kan secara fizikal?

  • Off topic

    With the price of oil is going into historical lows, IMO this is the prefect time for malaysia to beef up and increase its strategic petroleum storage stocks.

    Yes this capability is not always discussed openly, but it is there since the 80s.

  • "IMO this is the prefect time for malaysia to beef up and increase its strategic petroleum storage stocks."

    I would think stocks are building up by default because they cannot be sold.

  • @ AM

    "I would think stocks are building up by default because they cannot be sold"

    a strategic stock means that the volume would still be there when situations goes back to normal. Some are stored in normal fuel farms. But some are stored in specially build fuel bunkers deep in the mountains.

  • Salam sejahtera.
    saya terpanggil untuk memberi sedikit komen berkenaan LCS dan BHIC.
    siapa pun yang mejadi ceo tidak penting kerana projek kapal ini perlu segera disiapkan.Tempoh dan kos telah berjela-jela meningkat tetapi hasil tiada sebuah pun kapal yang memasuki perkhidmatan.
    Ini adalah sesuatu yang memalukan dan kerana itu keupayaan syarikat pembina kapal pertahanan tempatan di persoalkan.
    BHIC perlu didenda untuk pengajaran kerana kelewatan ini.

    Reply
    You are wrong, the company needs a good leader who can not only solve the financial and technical issues as well. It's an engineering company if the CEO is not technically competent the company will bleed money as it is the core business of the company.
    Of course they will be charged with the delays but it will not help them to complete the ships.

  • "... strategic petroleum storage stocks.”

    Why spend money to build new. Just ask Petronas to lower our production cukup lah. What we do not extract means we simpan lah kan

  • Apabila sesuatu projek besar dari kerajaan yg melibatkan aset ketenteraan pasti akan timbul isu atau masalah yg tak sepatutnya berlaku...kesilapan dan kelemahan pengurusan akan memberi kesan yg besar kepada pentadbiran operasi TLDM khasnya. Isu politik juga memberi impak jika tidak ditangani dgn baik. Apa yg penting perancangan yg teliti tanpa melindungi ketirisan atau kebocoran duit rakyat perlu diatasi agar isu keselamatan negara tidak akan diperlekehkan.

  • Off topic- Are our service museums willing to let volunteers participate in maintaining the artifacts of our heritage? If they are unable to do it themselves, the task should be opened to those with the interest and motivation to do so.

    Volunteer days can be held for people to socialise and organise themselves. Functions can include physical maintenance, historical research and promotion of its findings, public events and possibly the contribution of funds (on a matched basis or some other basis that doesn't allow the government to avoid responsibility.)

    I hope some volunteer could ask an elected representative for funding to at least keep artifacts out of the weather.

    Reply
    They're are there mostly AFAIK for special days turning up dressed as soldiers from the past. I think its difficult to get volunteers in to do other duties as the equipment though long retired are still considered government properties as part of the museum collection.

  • Subject to if money is available and it is economically wise to do so, maybe arming all the Kedah class with exocet mm40 block2 and Searam could be an option while waiting the maharaja lela to be commissioned in 2023 or 2024. Well if it is technically feasible, and little cost possible maybe armed it with NSM already ordered. For Anti Air, we'll either stick with gun base or maybe worst just use manpads to save cost. But only do this if there is such a need so as not to disturb Navy long term planning. For long range patrol and constabulary role, maybe the 3 new MMEA vessels and LMS could cover?

  • Right now IMO it should be the TLDM and MINDEF that should up their ante and make sure that the project have all the countermeasure plan for the delays in place.

    This is also the perfect time to review all the systems that is still not installed or even ordered. Probably to change the smart-s radar in the integrated mast to the newer NS100 like on the singaporean LMV is too late. But things like the air defence missile could still be reviewed.

    @ zulkhairi

    You cannot just turn off the petroleum taps. It is more complicated than that.