Upland (LSE:UPL), the oil and gas company actively building a portfolio of attractive upstream assets, announces that the Company has appointed Datuk Haji Bolhassan Bin Haji Di to its Board as a non-executive director with effect from 7th July 2016. His appointment supports the Company’s strategy to extend its focus to Malaysia and the South East Asian region and, along with the Company’s Chairman (Norza Zakaria), is considered invaluable to the Company’s ambition to take stakes in high-impact, low-cost production and exploration assets in the region.
Bolhassan, an elected member of the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly from 1987 to 2011 (Sarawak being one of two Malaysian States upon the Island of Borneo), has many years of political and commercial experience within the region. During his lengthy service within the Sarawak State Assembly, Bolhassan held positions as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Assistant Minister in the Sarawak Chief Minister’s Department and subsequently Assistant Minister at the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Communication.
A graduate of the School of Engineering at Sheffield University, Bolhassan began his career in 1979 at Sarawak Shell Bhd. (a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell plc) where he gained project planning, design, construction, commissioning and start-up experience in offshore projects. These included the F6A project in Sarawak waters (the largest offshore gas project in the region), the E11 and F23 gas production projects in Sarawak waters and also projects such as the St Joseph and South Furious offshore oil production platforms in Sabah waters.
From 1987 to 1997, Bolhassan was also the Chairman of the Miri Port Authority, now a key economic catalyst in the industrial and economic development of Sarawak and an important port for not only Sarawak’s, but Malaysia’s, development of trade with the rest of the world.
Bolhassan has also had significant oil and gas experience with Shell in South Korea, Singapore, the North Sea and the Netherlands.
Upland CEO, Stephen Staley, commented:
“I am delighted to welcome such a highly distinguished individual to the team. Bolhassan’s involvement is a great endorsement of our strategy to acquire assets within the South East Asian region. His appointment strengthens the Board and brings substantial political, technical and commercial experience in the region which should greatly aid our efforts to execute our corporate strategy.”
Bolhassan currently holds, or has previously held, the following directorships
Current Appointments
Zecon Berhad (Non-Executive Director)
Chairman of Jiwa Bakti Newspaper
Previous Appointments
Chairman of Sarawak Concrete Industry Berhad
Director Quality Concrete Berhad
Chairman of Miri Port Authority
Chairman of Kuching Port Authority
Director Sarawak Timber Industry Corporation
Director Bomar Properties Ltd
There is no information on Bolhassan required to be disclosed under LR 9.6.13R (1) – (6) of the UKLA’s Listing Rules in respect of Bolhassan and Bolhassan holds no shares in the Company.