KUALA LUMPUR, 21 June 2023: The Board of Directors (Board) of the Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology and Innovation (MRANTI) wishes to announce the resignation of Dzuleira Abu Bakar as Chief Executive Officer, as she has decided to pursue other career opportunities although her contract was renewed early this year. She will continue to serve at MRANTI until early September.
Dzuleira was first appointed the CEO of Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Center (MaGIC) and subsequently appointed the CEO of Technology Park Malaysia (TPM) to lead the merger of MaGIC and TPM, which resulted in the incorporation of MRANTI. This was part of the government’s larger efforts to restructure and consolidate its agencies to ensure that they are well positioned to execute the National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (DSTIN) and the Malaysian Science Technology Innovation and Economic Development Framework (MySTIE 10-10).
The MRANTI Board of Directors recognises Dzuleira’s dedication, outstanding leadership and invaluable contribution over the years. During this time, she has effectively raised the visibility and value of Malaysian technology and innovation by addressing societal and sectoral issues locally and globally.
Within several months of taking office, Dzuleira spearheaded the launch of the MRANTI Park Master Plan - an integrated and comprehensive approach to develop a 4IR hub from prime real-estate. The MasterPlan aims to achieve a gross development value of RM20 billion, RM2.8 billion in land lease, as well as create 8,000 jobs by 2027. To date MRANTI Park has secured RM1.12 billion in land lease value and a total of 132.56 acres for new land sub-lease, an increase of 250% and 112% respectively since her entry.
Under her leadership, Dzuleira also founded several facilities within the Park to support innovators at various stages of the life cycle. This includes a 5,000 sqft MakersLab for prototyping, a 5-acre drone centre of excellence, an Autonomous Vehicle Living Lab for live environment testing, 10-acre integrated healthcare cluster and 5G Experience Centre which serves as a national testbed for 5G innovation and enterprise-grade proof of concepts.
Dzuleira is a strong advocate in Malaysia’s drone tech ecosystem. MRANTI through MOSTI is the lead coordinating agency for the Malaysian Drone Technology Action Plan 2022-2030 (MDTAP30), a national initiative to support the drone ecosystem. Malaysia’s drone industry is ranked 21st in the global Drone Readiness Index, up from the 30th spot and ranking higher than the rest of the region. This puts the drone industry in Malaysia on a clear growth trajectory
with the potential to contribute MYR50.71 billion to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and create 100,000 job opportunities by 2030.This an early outcome of the MDTAP30 and other initiatives which involve strong collaboration by multiple agencies and stakeholders.
During her tenure, MRANTI was appointed as lead secretariat for the National Technology and Innovation Sandbox (NTIS), leading to 24 commercialisations, generating RM51.8 million in sales revenue. MRANTI was also tasked to run key national programs such as Program Penggunaan Barangan dan Perkhidmatan Hasil R&D Tempatan Melalui Perolehan Kerajaan (MySTI), Malaysia Commercialisation Year Summit 2023 and Malaysia Techlympics 2022.
“I am humbled and honored to have pioneered and positioned MRANTI as the nucleus for R&D and C&I in Malaysia. Having established the core pillars of talent, infrastructure, operational systems and processes as well as our strategic plan, I believe MRANTI can now advance in creating new socio-economic value through the commercialisation of R&D, which will strengthen the country’s trajectory to become a high-income, high-technology nation. I am committed to ensuring a seamless transition before my departure and to ensure the track is well-laid for MRANTI’s continued contribution and growth,” said Dzuleira.
In the meantime, a management committee will be activated as part of the transition plan to oversee the agency's operations during the process of appointing a new CEO. Programmes and projects in MRANTI’s pipeline will progress as planned, with the respective management team heads ensuring their successful implementation.
The Board wishes to record its appreciation and thanks to Dzuleira for her exemplary leadership and contribution to MRANTI.
