Dato Azeez... Way to go

I want to start this blog by talking about the man in the picture. The one, the only Dato Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim, the new Chairman of Lembaga Tabung Amanah Haji (LTAH).





His elevation to the position of Chairman has met with some fierce critics within the party, with some rabid pro-BN bloggers openly questioning his appointment as being without merit and retrogressive for the Tabung Haji. This subject has been fiercely debated especially at the Big Dog blog such as over here, at the Brick blog over here as well as other places.

Most of the attacks right now are the classic ad hominem attacks, making fun of his Indian Muslim ancestry or his education qualifications as an MBA graduate from Preston University. In terms of the quality of the attacks, it is usually empty, hollow and lacking any depth in the matter.

So let's discuss this in a more matter of fact way. Lets consider what is required of a Chairman of LTAH and whether Dato Azeez fits the bill. In that way, we can argue this matter out thoughtfully and rather than rely on stereotyping.

As a Chairman of an investment fund, Dato Azeez will Chair the Management Committee meetings that discuss the operational matters of the fund. This will include things like logistics, customer service, operations and Human Resources. He is not the Chair of the Risk Management Committee (Tan Sri Dato Hashim Meon) or the Chair of the Investment Management Committee (Datuk Azizan Abdul Rahman) or the Syariah Advisory Committee (Tan Sri Dato Dr Abdul Shukor Husin). All of the above committees require special expertise in areas of risk management, investment analysis or syariah compliance. Dato Azeez is not serving on those functions, in fact he does not even sit in any one of those committees and their decisions will be independent of his influence.

His role is to provide the "human capital" input to LTAH whilst Dato Paduka Ismee Ismail can concentrate on the more strategic and investment matters. In this regard, Dato Azeez comes well qualified because he has undertaken so many logistic operations in support of humanitarian missions. He will know first hand what is required to move thousands of people and the required logistics support. In that regard, he comes much better equipped than any MBA grad out there because he has first hand experience.

This is the area of supply chain management. It is completely different from Investment Management and requires a person with in-depth knowledge in planning and co-ordination. Stuff like this is not made for bankers, it is made for "get your hands dirty" kind of people who know the nuts and bolts of the operations.

These are just some casual observations I have made. Dato Azeez is not going to override the CEO, the CFO or the other experts in the areas of the expertise. Instead his role is to ensure that contributors to LTAH are well taken care off and the necessary support operations are in place. Stuff like that does not require theory but instead years of practical experience. In that regard, few will doubt Dato Azeez's strength in that matter.