NOBODY knows for sure if Berjaya Corp Bhd’s (BCorp) recently appointed group CEO Abdul Jalil Abdul Rasheed prefers to be a ‘dragon trainer’ or ‘dragon slayer’.
It doesn’t matter which of the two is Jalil’s preferred choice.
So long as the man-in-the-street investors are concerned, the dragon has awaken from its deep slumber ever since the former president and group CEO of Permodalan Nasional Bhd stepped in to fill the shoes of Datuk Seri Robin Tan Yeong Ching on March 16.
Barely a fortnight and there is already so much positive vibes in the diversified conglomerate. Coupled with the newly-minted head honcho acquiring 70 million BCorp shares at 28 sen/share on March 24, the counter has been a volume topper.
From 18 sen on the eve of Jalil’s appointment, BCorp has surged to an intra-day high of 34.5 sen today, a whopping 91.7%, a price which has eluded the counter since mid-2018.
At today’s close of trading, BCorp – the day’s most active counter – was up 3 sen or 9.84% at 33.5 sen with 391.53 million shares traded, thus valuing the company at RM1.76 bil.
In all fairness, Jalil aside, the recent news flow on BCorp has been both fluid and importantly music to the ears of the trading/investing fraternity.
It was reported that BCorp’s executive chairman and founder Tan Sri Vincent Tan has decided to take a backseat in the running of the company, and is turning towards hiring professional managers (like Jalil who is not a family member) to helm the group.
As the icing on the cake, the 69 year-old patriarch of BCorp told Bernama that he will give half of his wealth to charity when he is no longer around, while appealing to more wealthy Malaysians who have passed the 70 year-old mark to do likewise.
The billionaire said that doing so would help the underprivileged to own affordable homes as housing is a basic need of human beings and essential for a person’s sense of dignity, safety and inclusion.
BCorp aside, the share prices of most of the group’s listed subsidiaries have also headed north. They include Berjaya Food Bhd; Berjaya Sports Toto Bhd; Berjaya Assets Bhd; Berjaya Land Bhd and 7-Eleven Malaysia Holdings Bhd. – March 29, 2021
