Kuala lumpur: The Director-General of the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), Datuk Abdul Halim Hamzah, has been appointed as the new Secretary-General of the Ministry of Communications, effective Monday (Nov 24). The appointment was announced by Chief Secretary to the Government (KSN), Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, in a statement today.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Shamsul Azri extended his congratulations to Abdul Halim, noting his extensive leadership experience and service record. Shamsul expressed confidence in Abdul Halim's ability to strengthen service delivery and contribute to the nation's well-being and prosperity.

Abdul Halim, 54, holds a Bachelor of Law degree from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and a Master of Business Administration from Universiti Putra Malaysia. He has nearly 30 years of public sector experience, beginning as an Assistant Director at the Implementation Coordination Unit, Prime Minister's Department (JPM). Before his role as NADMA Director-General, which began on June 9, he served as Senior Deputy Secretary-General (Finance and Development) at the Prime Minister's Department in 2023.

In a separate statement, Shamsul Azri announced the appointment of Meor Ismail Meor Akim as the new Director-General of NADMA, effective the same date. Meor Ismail, 56, currently the Deputy Secretary-General (Development) of the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development, will replace Abdul Halim.

Meor Ismail is a Bachelor of Economics (Honours) graduate from Universiti Malaya and has over 31 years of public sector service. His career began as an Assistant Secretary at the Ministry of Finance. He has held positions such as Deputy State Secretary (Development) of Perak in 2019 and Deputy Director-General (Operations Implementation) of NADMA in 2021.

Shamsul Azri expressed his confidence in Meor Ismail's ability to lead NADMA with dedication, emphasizing the importance of an efficient, integrated, and responsive disaster management system for the nation.