Board of Directors and Key Management

The People Behind Apex Group
The People Behind
Apex Group

Our Leaders

YBhg. Datuk Wira Farhash Wafa Salvador J.P.

Group Executive Chairman

Datuk Seri Norazlan bin Mohd Razali

Independent Non-Executive Director

Norzilah binti Mohammed

Non-Independent Non-Executive Director

Woon Wai En

Independent Non-Executive Director

Rozana Bt Shamsuddin

Independent Non-Executive Director

Key Management

Wong Zhen Fai

Group Deputy Chief Executive Officer

Chang Min De

Group Chief Operating Officer

Lim Chee Tooh

Group Chief Technology Officer

Straise Chong

Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer

Apex Securities Berhad

Kong Ming Ming

Executive Director

Apex Securities Berhad

Tan Cheng Han

Group Financial Controller

Apex Securities Berhad

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Leave us a message via our enquiry form and discover how our solutions can meet your business’s needs.

YBhg. Datuk Wira Farhash Wafa Salvador J.P.

Group Executive Chairman

YBhg. Datuk Wira Farhash Wafa Salvador J.P. was appointed to the Board on 27 December 2022 as Group Executive Chairman.

YBhg. Datuk Wira Farhash brings with him over more than a decade’s worth of experience in the field of business, consultancy and advisory. In the business front, his illustrious career spans across a broad range of sectors which includes construction, technology, hotel, food & beverage. He is also a staunch advocate to promoting the development of the Small Medium Enterprise (SME) industry in the country. Moreover, YBhg. Datuk Wira Farhash is a multi-talented innovator with five award-winning patents held across the world including the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and China.

As testament to YBhg. Datuk Wira Farhash talents and invaluable contribution to the industry, he was named, amongst the many, Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year in 2020 by the Global Business Leadership Awards, Enterprising Entrepreneur of the Year in 2019 and Technopreneur of the Year in 2018 by SEBA, Malaysia Outstanding National Entrepreneur Bumiputra in Business in 2018, 100th most influential young entrepreneur in 2017 and Bumiputera Entrepreneur Startup Scheme Award by the Bumiputera Agenda Leadership Unit (TERAJU) in 2016.

YBhg. Datuk Wira Farhash is or had been a director and/or shareholder in at least ten private companies which includes Swag Technologies Sdn Bhd, Salvador & Sons Sdn Bhd and Pacific Samudera Sdn Bhd. He was also an Independent Non-Executive Director of Bluemont Group Limited (now known as Southern Archipelago Limited) from 2014 to 2016, a Public Listed Company listed on the Mainboard of the Singapore Exchange (SGX).

YBhg. Datuk Wira Farhash presently also sits in the Board of Advisory of Yayasan Usahawan Malaysia, a non-government organisation that thrives on the frontier of gathering, creating and developing sustainable companies with strong entrepreneurship traits.

YBhg. Datuk Wira Farhash graduated with an honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administrator and subsequently a Master of Science degree in Finance from the renowned University of Portsmouth, United Kingdom. He is also an alumnus of Harvard University in the United States, one of the most prestigious schools in the world, having attained the Executive Certificate in Public Leadership from Harvard Kennedy School.

YBhg. Datuk Wira Farhash is currently the Non-Independent Non-Executive Chairman of 7-Eleven Malaysia Holdings Berhad and MMAG Holdings Berhad, the Executive Chairman of Excel Force MSC Berhad and Key Alliance Group Berhad, and a Director of Berjaya Construction Berhad and Bukit Kiara Resort Berhad.

YBhg. Dato’ Leong Wai Leng, Celine

Group Executive Director
Norzilah binti Mohammed was appointed to the Board as Group Executive Director on 3rd July 2023.
She earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, specialising in Accounting, from California State University, Sacramento, USA.
In addition to her academic accomplishments, she is a Qualified Risk Director, a certification granted by the Institute of Enterprise Risk Practitioners, showcasing her expertise in risk management.
Her exceptional dedication and expertise in finance were previously celebrated in 2018 when she received the Anugerah Tokoh Srikandi for Finance by Gabungan Pelajar Melayu Semenanjung.

Datuk Seri Norazlan Bin Mohd Razali

Independent Non-Executive Director

Datuk Seri Norazlan Bin Mohd Razali (“Datuk Seri Norazlan”) was appointed to the Board as an Independent Non-Executive Director , effective 2 January 2025.

Datuk Seri Norazlan was a former Deputy Chief Commissioner (Prevention) for the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). He began his career at the MACC on 9 February 1989 in the Investigation Division, specializing in financial crimes, international investigations, and anti-money laundering. He was a pioneer member of the Malaysian National Coordinating Committee to Counter Money Laundering and contributed to the development of national strategies to combat money laundering, including the enactment of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 and the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act 2002.

Datuk Seri Norazlan was a pioneer Director of the MACC’s Agency Integrity Management Division, tasked with enhancing anti-corruption governance through Integrity Units in government agencies and Government-Linked Companies (GLCs). He supervised and coordinated the implementation of anti-corruption and integrity policies and initiatives by these units. Additionally, he represented Malaysia in the Project Committee of the International Standard Organization (ISO) to develop ISO 37001 Anti-Bribery Management Systems (ABMS) as an anti-corruption international standard which subsequently adopted as Malaysian’s MSO ISO 37001:2016 ABMS as an anti-corruption standard in Malaysia.

Datuk Seri Norazlan holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Control Systems, majoring in Accounting, from the University of North Texas, United States, and a Master of Science in Economic Crime Management (Distinction) from HELP University, Malaysia. He also a Certified Financial Investigator and holds additional qualifications from the National Coordinating Committee to Counter Money Laundering, MARA University of Technology, and the International Islamic University of Malaysia.

Datuk Seri Norazlan does not hold any directorship in any other public company or listed issuer.

YBhg. Dato’ Leong Wai Leng, Celine

Group Executive Director
Norzilah binti Mohammed was appointed to the Board as Group Executive Director on 3rd July 2023.
She earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, specialising in Accounting, from California State University, Sacramento, USA.
In addition to her academic accomplishments, she is a Qualified Risk Director, a certification granted by the Institute of Enterprise Risk Practitioners, showcasing her expertise in risk management.
Her exceptional dedication and expertise in finance were previously celebrated in 2018 when she received the Anugerah Tokoh Srikandi for Finance by Gabungan Pelajar Melayu Semenanjung.

Norzilah binti Mohammed

Non-Independent Non-Executive Director

Puan Norzilah Binti Mohammed was appointed to the Board as an Executive Director on 03 July 2023. She was redesignated as a Non-Independent Non-Executive Director on 02 Sep 2024.

Puan Norzilah had more than 30 years of experience in the banking and finance services industry where she last held the position of Group Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Destini Berhad in 2019 and subsequently appointed as an Executive Director on the Board of Destini Berhad in March 2021.
She previously held the position of Chief Executive Officer at Export-Import Bank of Malaysia Berhad (“EXIM Bank”). Prior to that, she held several key positions at EXIM Bank as the Chief Operating Officer, Chief Risk Officer and Chief Credit Officer. Complimenting her corporate accomplishments, she was awarded the Anugerah Tokoh Srikandi for Finance by Gabungan Pelajar Melayu Semenanjung in 2018. Puan Norzilah also holds several honorary positions which include her appointment as a Business Advisory Committee Member of the Malaysia China Business Council and the Head of Cluster for Banking and Finance at the Centre of Women Advancement and Leadership in University Kuala Lumpur. She also sits on the Board Member of University Malaysia Sarawak where she is also the Chairman of the Board Audit Committee.
Puan Norzilah graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, majoring in Accounting from California State University, Sacramento, United States of America. She is also a Qualified Risk Director from the Institute of Enterprise Risk Practitioners.
Pn. Norzilah does not hold any directorship in any other public company or listed issuer.

YBhg. Dato’ Leong Wai Leng, Celine

Group Executive Director
Norzilah binti Mohammed was appointed to the Board as Group Executive Director on 3rd July 2023.
She earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, specialising in Accounting, from California State University, Sacramento, USA.
In addition to her academic accomplishments, she is a Qualified Risk Director, a certification granted by the Institute of Enterprise Risk Practitioners, showcasing her expertise in risk management.
Her exceptional dedication and expertise in finance were previously celebrated in 2018 when she received the Anugerah Tokoh Srikandi for Finance by Gabungan Pelajar Melayu Semenanjung.

Woon Wai En

Independent Non-Executive Director
Mr. Woon Wai En was appointed to the Board on 20 June 2022. He was also appointed as Chairman of the Audit Committee, member of the Group Board Risk Committee and Nomination and Remuneration Committee.
Mr. Woon is a Member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (“MIA”) and also a Fellow Member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.
He started his career as an Accounts Executive with Mechmar Berhad in 1989. From 1990 to 1993, he was with Welcome Pharmaceutical (M) Sdn Bhd as an Accounts Manager. He then joined VADS Berhad from 1993 to 2005 where his last held position was the General Manager for Business Support Services. He subsequently joined Moccis Trading Sdn Bhd as its Chief Financial Officer from 2005 to 2009.
From 2012 to 2016, he joined Kris Sakti Holdings Sdn Bhd , an Investment Holding company as its Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Woon was the Group Chief Operating Officer for Sarawak Cable Berhad , a position he held since joining the company in 2017 until his retirement in January 2022.
All in all, Mr. Woon is an accomplished and result driven financial and accounting professional with 30 years of experience in finance and operations management.
Mr. Woon does not hold any directorship in any other public company or listed issuer.

Woon Wai En

Independent Non-Executive Director
Mr Woon Wai En joined the Board on 20th June 2022 and assumed the role of Chairman of the Audit Committee. Furthermore, he is a member of the Group Board Risk Committee and the Nomination and Remuneration Committee.
Like Mr Lee, Mr Woon also holds membership in the MIA and FCMA. Possessing extensive experience in finance and operations management, he contributes a wealth of expertise to his diverse roles.
He has held positions at Mechmar Berhad, Welcome Pharmaceutical (M) Sdn Bhd, VADS Berhad, Moccis Trading Sdn Bhd, Kris Sakti Holdings Sdn Bhd, and Sarawak Cable Berhad, where he served as Group Chief Operating Officer until his retirement in January 2022.
Overall, Mr Woon is an accomplished and result-driven financial and accounting professional with in-depth finance and operations management expertise.

Rozana Shamsuddin

Independent Non-Executive Director
Pn. Rozana Shamsuddin was appointed to the Board on 20 June 2022. She was also appointed as Chairman of Group Board Risk Committee, a member of the Audit Committee and the Nomination and Remuneration Committee.
She was called to the Malaysia bar in 1990 and has been practicing actively for the past 32 years. Pn. Rozana started her legal practice with Messrs E. Ramasamy & Co in Muar and was handling criminal matters and litigation work until she joined Messrs Abdul Raman Saad & Associates, at one of its branch office in Melaka in 1997, where she started handling conveyancing work for retail and corporate matters and also began providing non contentious legal advice to retail and corporate clients.
Pn. Rozana then moved to Kuala Lumpur in 2010 when she was invited to join Messrs Kamal Hisham & Associates. During her practice with the firm, Pn. Rozana was one of the partners in charge of its business and legal consultancy office in Dubai. Thereafter she continued her legal practice in Messrs Ismail Sabri Wee & Wong before setting up Messrs Rozana Segran & Co with her other 3 partners in 2018.
During the first Movement Control Order (“MCO”), Pn. Rozana started her post graduate programs in Law at UiTM Shah Alam and successfully obtained her Masters in Law in 2022.
Pn. Rozana graduated from ITM, Shah Alam (now known as UiTM) in 1989 after having completed the Advanced Diploma in Law course (which is now the LLB Hons).
Pn. Rozana does not hold any directorship in any other public company or listed issuer.

Rozana Shamsuddin

Independent Non-Executive Director
Pn Rozana Shamsuddin became a member of the Board on 20th June 2022 and currently holds the position of Chairman for the Group Board Risk Committee. In addition, she is part of the Audit Committee and the Nomination and Remuneration Committee.
She completed her Advanced Diploma in Law at ITM, Shah Alam (now UiTM), in 1989 and joined the Malaysian bar in 1990. With 32 years of legal experience, Pn Rozana has worked in various law firms, handling criminal matters, litigation, conveyancing, and providing legal advice to retail and corporate clients.
She was also a partner at Messrs Kamal Hisham & Associates and later established Messrs Rozana Segran & Co in 2018. Pn Rozana obtained her Master in Law in 2022 after completing her postgraduate programme during the first MCO.

Wong Zhen Fai

Group Deputy CEO

Mr. Wong Zhen Fai (“Zhen Fai”) currently serves as the Group Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Group Deputy CEO) of Apex Equity Holdings Berhad (“AEHB”). He is also the Executive Director of Apex Development Sdn. Bhd., Apex Equity Digital Sdn. Bhd., and Apex Equity Capital Sdn. Bhd., all of which are wholly-owned subsidiaries of AEHB.

Zhen Fai commenced his career as a regulator in Securities Commission Malaysia (SC). Over the years at the SC, he gained an extensive range of experience in coordinating and managing complex regulatory assignments, especially in corporate governance initiatives, corporate risk assessment, risk profiling, auditing & accounting matter, industry analysis, and business transformation. He was also appointed an Investigating Officer of the SC and involved in international regulatory coordination, capital market planning, and risk assessment on Public Listed Companies in Malaysia.

Zhen Fai possesses great learning capabilities, and coupled with high analytical and problem-solving skills, these have enabled him to perform excellently throughout the years. His ability to think creatively and decisively given the fastpaced and dynamic working environment as well as being an excellent communicator, have further earned him many successes throughout his career.

Zhen Fai is the key driver of strategic planning, prioritising initiatives, and allocating resources against key performance metrics, and working cross-functionally to operationalise initiatives. He also provides decision support through data gathering and information analysis, and presents value added recommendations to relevant stakeholders.

Zhen Fai later joined a boutique financial services company covering a wide range of businesses such as Investment Banking (Labuan), Money Exchange, Moneylending. His responsibilities include amongst others, overseeing the organisation’s investment activities and allocation of corporate resources, as well as formulating plans to ensure that the undertakings of the organisation commensurate with its long-term growth strategy.

Zhen Fai graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from University of East London, United Kingdom (UK) as well as a master’s degree in Business Management from University of Hertfordshire, UK.

Chang Min De

Group COO

Mr. Chang Min De (“Min De”) currently serves as the Group Chief Operating Officer (Group COO) of Apex Equity Holdings Berhad (“AEHB”). He is also the Executive Director of Apex Equity Capital Sdn. Bhd., Apex Equity Digital Sdn. Bhd., and Apex Development Sdn. Bhd., all of which are wholly-owned subsidiaries of AEHB.

Min De commenced his career as an auditor in the Audit & Assurance division of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Malaysia. During his tenure at PwC, he was primarily responsible for financial statements and internal control audits and had worked in assignments covering local and multinational public listed companies. He is conversant in both local and international financial reporting and auditing requirements.

Min De subsequently joined the Securities Commission Malaysia’s (SC) Corporate Surveillance Department. His primary responsibilities include evaluating corporate exercises, performing assessments on public interest entities, conducting industry-wide thematic studies, providing strategic enforcement recommendations to upper management, carrying out regulatory actions and conducting corporate risk assessments.

Min De later joined a boutique financial services company where he was responsible to assist the Group Director in overseeing the accounting and treasury functions of the group which comprises, amongst others, the following businesses: Investment Banking (Labuan), Money Exchange, Moneylending.

Min De graduated with a bachelor’s degree with Honours in Accounting and Finance from the London School of Economics (LSE), United Kingdom. He is currently a designated Business & Finance Professional (BFP) and Chartered Accountant (ACA) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA), an ASEAN Chartered Professional Accountant (ASEAN CPA) and a Practising Certificate holder of the Companies Commission Malaysia (SSM).

Lim Chee Tooh

Group Chief Technology Officer

Mr. Lim Chee Tooh (“Chee Tooh”) currently serves as the Group Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Apex Equity Holdings Berhad. He was appointed to this role on 1 October 2024, bringing with him over two decades of experience in enterprise technology, software development, and digital transformation across various industries including banking, capital markets, retail, healthcare, and logistics.

Chee Tooh commenced his career in the IT sector and has since held leadership roles in several established organisations. Earlier in his career, he served in prominent IT leadership capacities at Bursa Malaysia Berhad, Popular Book Company, EP Plus Group, Fitness First Asia, and Exitra (LGB Group). He was responsible for delivering enterprise-scale projects covering robotic process automation, hybrid cloud deployment, CI/CD pipelines, and business intelligence platforms with regional footprints.

He later joined Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad, where he held a senior leadership position and was instrumental in leading digital transformation research and development initiatives. During his tenure, he established internal engineering capabilities, championed the insourcing of digital development, and pioneered the adoption of Generative AI (GenAI) to support operational excellence.

In his current role as Group CTO, Chee Tooh is responsible for defining and executing the Group’s technology vision. His key areas of oversight include infrastructure modernisation, cybersecurity, data strategy, and innovation delivery. He plays a critical role in aligning technology initiatives with strategic business outcomes, enhancing operational efficiency, and cultivating a culture of digital agility across all subsidiaries.

Known for his “Listen, Understand, Think & Act” philosophy, Chee Tooh is recognised for his people-centric and business-aligned approach to technology leadership, and for his ability to translate business challenges into scalable tech solutions while building high-performing, collaborative teams.

Chee Tooh holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Mathematics from Campbell University, USA, and an Advanced Diploma from Tunku Abdul Rahman College. He is certified in AWS, Microsoft Azure, ITIL, PRINCE2, and ServiceNow. He continues to expand his expertise in the fields of data science and cybersecurity.

Straise Chong

Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer

Apex Securities Berhad

Straise Chong has officially assumed the role of Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Apex Securities Berhad, commencing 1 February 2025. With over 20 years of experience in the stockbroking and securities industry, she brings a wealth of expertise in credit control, market risk management, process optimization, and system enhancements.

Straise commenced her career at CIMB Investment Bank Berhad, where she spent 19 years, rising through the ranks to become Director of the Credit Control Department. There, she spearheaded impactful projects, such as regional client onboarding systems and financial risk management enhancements.

Straise subsequently joined Apex Securities Berhad in July 2023 and was appointed Director of Credit and Operations in April 2024. At Apex, Straise led significant workflow improvements, system upgrades, and the rollout of innovative financial products, including Discretionary Trading and foreign ATH. Her tenure reflects a commitment to enhancing efficiency, client experience, and operational control measures.

Straise graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting from the University of Adelaide and has completed the Securities Commission Licensing Exams (Modules 6 & 7). As a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, she has consistently applied data-driven strategies to streamline operations and achieve measurable outcomes.

Kong Ming Ming

Executive Director Dealing

Apex Securities Berhad

Ms. Kong Ming Ming (“Ms. Kong”) was appointed as an Executive Director of Apex Securities Berhad, a whollyowned subsidiary of Apex Equity Holdings Berhad on 27 November 2017. She is also the Head of Dealing (Equity) of Apex Securities Berhad since 2010.

Ms. Kong graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Business Administration) Degree from the Colorado State University, U.S.A in 1993. She started her career with Apex Securities Berhad holding various positions before being promoted to Senior Vice President Dealing in 2008. Ms. Kong has more than two decades of working experience in the stockbroking industry.

Tan Cheng Han

Group Financial Controller

Apex Securities Berhad

Mr. Tan Cheng Han has more than 31 years of working experience in the fields of audit, operations, compliance and group accounts. He holds a professional qualification from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and is a member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA).

He joined Apex Securities Berhad in December 2004 and prior to this, he was with a financial services group involved in stockbroking, futures broking and asset management.