KUALA LUMPUR – Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Zarif Hashim’s contract has not been renewed following the expiry of his two-year term today.
Zarif’s current contract, which took effect on November 1, 2023, was a two-year extension granted under the administration of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim following the 15th general election.
The decision not to extend his tenure is not unexpected, given that questions over his continued leadership had already surfaced as early as 2023.
At the time, the previous government under then prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob was reportedly divided on whether to renew Zarif’s earlier two-year contract, which expired in July 2023.
This followed a seemingly harmless invitation to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to ride the Putrajaya Line train.
Najib is regarded as the architect of modern rail infrastructure with numerous rail projects launched under his administration.
He was subsequently granted a three-month interim extension before being reappointed for another two-year term under Anwar’s administration.
During his tenure, Zarif oversaw key developments in the MRT Putrajaya Line and early groundwork for the MRT3 Circle Line.
The RTS link between Johor Bharu and Singapore is still under development, as is the Penang MRT Mutiara Line and the MRT3.
MRT Corp is yet to issue a statement nor announce a successor. – November 1, 2025