By P PREM KUMAR / Pic By MUHD AMIN NAHARUL

An internal candidate is being considered to take up the driver’s seat in Prasarana Malaysia Bhd after Datuk Seri Azmi Abdul Aziz’s contract as president and CEO ended last Sunday.

Sources close to the matter told The Malaysian Reserve that only insiders have been interviewed to fill the post.

The sources also named Prasarana Rail and Infrastructure Projects Sdn Bhd CEO Khairani Mohamed and Prasarana’s chief infra services officer Ahmad Nizam Mohamed Amin as the potential successor.

“A few candidates have been submitted to the Finance Ministry, including one candidate from Mass Rapid Transit Corp Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp). However, the shortlisted ones were internal candidates from Prasarana,” said one source, adding that an announcement would be made early next week.

Khairani was appointed Prasarana Rail and Infrastructure Projects CEO on Sept 1, 2016. He started his career as a fighter jet pilot with the Royal Malaysian Air Force.

He has served Prasarana in various capacities, including CEO of Prasarana Integrated Management & Engineering Services Sdn Bhd until February 2015, after serving as the group director of Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd CEO since January 2011.

Ahmad Nizam, on the other hand, is an engineer by profession. He was appointed to his current position on Sept 1, 2016, after serving Rapid Rail as the CEO.

Azmi had previously served as Prasarana president and group CEO over the last three years and had steered the implementation of the new Light Rail Transit Line 3 (LRT3) project.

Prior to his tenure at Prasarana, Azmi was the chief development officer of the Land Public Transport Commission.

Azmi succeeded Datuk Seri Shahril Mokhtar on Jan 1, 2015, who was appointed to lead MRT Corp.

Prasarana is the asset owner and operator of Malaysia’s two LRT networks and the KL Monorail.

It also owns operating concession of the MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line, besides operating bus services of Rapid Penang, Rapid Kuantan, Rapid Kamunting and Rapid KL.

The company is also in the middle of taking over Penang’s loss-making ferry service from current operator, Penang Port Sdn Bhd.

Azmi told reporters in October last year that the process is expected to be unveiled soon and the new service will be known as RapidFerry.

The Penang ferry, which provides a cross-strait service from Georgetown to Butterworth, has been operational for over a century and is the oldest ferry service in Malaysia.

However, since the opening of the Penang Bridge in 1985, the ferry service is said to have incurred losses of at least RM700 for each trip made.