Member of Parliament for Kepala Batas Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina has been appointed chairman of Amanah Raya Berhad (AmanahRaya) with effect from Jan 1.

Reezal, 42, replaces Datuk Dusuki Ahmad who retired on Dec 29 last year, after serving for 10 years.

AmanahRaya Board representative Datuk Johar Che Mat in a statemen here on Friday said the appointment of Reezal by the Ministry of Finance was made carefully based on his vast professional and political experience.

Reezal served at Bank Industri Malaysia Berhad and Kuwait Ijarah House and was responsible for the financing facilities for two banks based in Jeddah and Kuwait.

In the political sphere, Reezal served as political secretary to former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and former Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

Reezal is also Kepala Batas UMNO division chief, an UMNO supreme council member and Penang UMNO Liaison Committee deputy chairman.