KUALA LUMPUR (June 25): NexG Bhd (KL:NEXG), Malaysia's sole supplier of passport booklets and MyKad identity cards, plans to change its name back to Datasonic Group Bhd.
Earlier this year, the company was involved in a boardroom dispute that was allegedly linked to an attempted takeover by a group described as a "corporate mafia".
The episode led to the entry of Datuk Ishak Ismail as a substantial shareholder. He currently holds an indirect 23.717% stake in the company, via his holdings in Raya Aviations Holdings Sdn Bhd and his daughter Siti Nur Aishah Ishak.
Investigations into the allegations of a “corporate mafia” are still ongoing, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said disclosed in Dewan Rakyat earlier this week, despite it being over three months after the Cabinet ordered a detailed probe.
The proposed name was approved and reserved by the Companies Commission Malaysia on May 8, the company said in a bourse filing on Thursday.
The name change is subject to shareholders' approval at its 18th annual general meeting to be convened at a date to be announced later.
The company had been known as Datasonic since its founding in 1980. The holding company, listed in 2012, formally changed its name to NexG in February 2025.
At the time, the company said the rebranding reflected the group’s intention to be a leader in the integration of next-generation technologies, such as artificial intelligence, across government and commercial applications.
NexG acquired a 32.61% stake plus warrants in NexG Bina Bhd (KL:NEXGBINA) in September 2025, then known as Classita Holdings Bhd, from Hong Seng Consolidated Bhd (KL:HONGSENG).
At the time of writing, NexG Bina has made no announcement on a proposed name change.
A check of its website showed that its unit, NexG Technologies Sdn Bhd, has already reverted to the Datasonic name and is now known as Datasonic Technologies Sdn Bhd.
Shares of NexG ended unchanged at 23 sen, valuing the company at RM836.7 million.