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CTOS Digital Bhd has appointed Putri Norlisa Najib, daughter of former prime minister Najib Razak, as an independent non-executive director.
The appointment takes effect on 25 September, according to a Bursa Malaysia filing.
She replaces Nirmala Doraisamy, who retired as independent non-executive director on 21 September.
Putri Norlisa will also join CTOS’ Risk and Compliance Committee, Nomination and Remuneration Committee, and Employee Share Option Scheme Committee.
Credentials & History
The 45-year-old is joint managing partner of law firm Adnan Sundra & Low, with more than 20 years of experience in banking and finance law.
She began her career at Eversheds in London in 2005, before returning to Malaysia and being called to the Bar in 2009.
She joined Kadir, Andri & Partners and made partner there, before co-founding her own firm, Putri Norlisa Chair, in 2015. That firm merged with Adnan Sundra & Low in 2018, and she became joint managing partner in 2023.
Her legal work spans banking and finance transactions, project financing, debt restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, and capital market deals.
The Bursa filing states Putri Norlisa has no family relationship with any CTOS director or major shareholder, and has no conflict of interest.
The Appointment Drew Mixed Reactions Online
One commenter’s response was simply, “The jokes write themselves,” drawing dozens of reactions.
Another commenter pushed back on assumptions about the appointment, pointing out that Putri Norlisa is from Najib’s first marriage and calling her a “successful solicitor on her own right” who keeps a low profile.
The appointment follows a similar one in 2024, when Najib’s daughter from his second marriage, Nooryana Najwa Najib, was appointed to the board of Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) – a move that drew accusations of nepotism and criticism of the government’s reformasi credentials at the time.
The comparison, however, is not a clean one. Matrade is a government-linked trade promotion agency; CTOS is a private listed company whose board appointments fall outside government purview. Whether Putri Norlisa’s appointment draws similar scrutiny – or gets read differently given both her independent legal career and the private-sector context – remains to be seen.
Whether this appointment draws the same scrutiny, or gets read differently given Putri Norlisa’s independent legal career, remains to be seen.
READ MORE: Najib’s Daughter Joins MATRADE Board: Merit Or Controversy?
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