KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 31): Pertama Digital Bhd has announced the resignation of its chief executive officer (CEO) Saifullah Akhtar, effective Tuesday.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, the group (formerly known as Sinotop Holdings Bhd) said Saifullah, 38, is vacating the position to pursue his personal interests.

He assumed the role of the group’s CEO last December, having previously served as director of strategy in 2021.

Saifullah is the son-in-law of Pertama Digital’s executive director and substantial shareholder Sabri Ab Rahman, who holds a 12.375% stake in the group.  

Last August, Pertama Digital applied for a 12-month extension, with a deadline set for August 9, 2024, to submit its regularisation plan to the relevant authorities.

This request came after the group was classified as an 'affected listed issuer' due to the sale of its China-based textile subsidiary, Be Top Group Ltd, for RM70 million, with the aim of becoming a pure-play digital services provider.

The group owns and operates a mobile application known as MyPay which consolidates the e-services of Malaysian government agencies into a single digital platform. It also owns and operates a website app known as eJamin which allows users to make payment electronically for criminal courts bails.

On Tuesday, Pertama Digital’s share price finished eight sen or 1.98% lower at RM3.96, giving it a market capitalisation of RM1.74 billion. The counter has risen over 126% year to date.