KUALA LUMPUR – His renewal letter for another two years was ready. Sitting on a desk of a C-Suite civil servant.
Yet by the time his present contract as Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) chief executive officer expired on Nov 1, Datuk Mohd Zarif Hashim had yet to receive word of an extension.
So he packed up his office and clocked out one last time on Friday (Oct 31).
However Scoop’s report Saturday (Nov 1) on his exit triggered queries from the industry and as well as Putrajaya.
High placed sources have accused several parties of lobbying and spreading misinformation to frustrate any chance of Mohd Zarif being renewed.
This include even misusing the names of highly placed individuals to influence Putrajaya’s decision not to issue the letter of renewal to Mohd Zarif.
With the Johor RTS Link Project and Penang Mutiara Line LRT Project still progressing with several tenders pending, questions arise as to why certain parties want Mohd Zarif out of the way.
“It is not the right time to change CEOs when crucial decisions need to be made and Zarif has been doing a decent job despite the political changes,” said a source.
“With three prime ministers in five years and a pandemic to boot, MRT has been in steady hands,” he added.
Mohd 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 previous government under then Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob extended it by three months in July 2023.
During his tenure, Mohd Zarif oversaw key developments in the MRT Putrajaya Line and early groundwork for the MRT3 Circle Line.
Prior to taking up his current role way back in 2020, Mohd Zarif was the Group Chief Operating Officer of Sapura. – November 3, 2025