Board Of Directors

Dato’ P’ng Soo Hong assumed the position of Non-Executive Chairman at Cradle on 1 January 2024, bringing with him a dynamic leadership and distinguished track record.

Presently, Dato’ P’ng holds the position of Vice President at First Solar Malaysia Sdn Bhd, where he actively shapes the company’s strategic direction and oversees critical operations such as Renewable Energy 100 (RE100), Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) and Strategic Sourcing performance. He joined First Solar in October 2008.

Prior to his tenure at First Solar, Dato’ P’ng accumulated 17 years of professional experience at Intel Corporation, where he served significant roles in Operation Management, Manufacturing System/Process and Supply Chain Management development. Notably, he served as the General Manager for Intel’s largest Assembly-Test Chipset Operation in Chengdu, China, from 2004 to 2007. Following this assignment, he made a transition to Intel’s 300mm Fab in Arizona, United States. 

Beyond his current role, Dato’ P’ng holds various key positions that reflect his dedication to industry growth and community development. Among others, he serves as the President of the Kulim Industrial Tenants Association (KITA), Chairman of the Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association (MSIA) Sustainability Committee, and Chairman of the Kedah Industrial Skills and Management Development Centre (KISMEC). He also holds directorial positions at Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MiGHT), American Malaysian Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) and Titijaya Land Berhad.

Norsham Abdul Latip is currently the Deputy Secretary General (Technology Development) of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI). She oversees the development of science, technology and innovation ecosystem as the catalyst for the country’s socioeconomic advancement. Norsham holds a degree in Management from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). In the early stages of her career, she served in the Ministry of Primary Industries and was involved in formulating forestry and timber policies. In 2003, she pursued her Master’s degree in Environmental Management at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). After completing her studies in 2004, she served in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE); Department of Biosafety; Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change (MESTECC); Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (KETSA); Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change (NRECC) and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES). She was involved in the formulation of laws/regulations/policies related to biodiversity and forestry management; land, survey and geospatial; as well as minerals and geoscience. She also involved in the preparation of Malaysia’s position in relevant Multilateral Environmental Agreements. She has extensive involvement with various stakeholders, particularly in conveying government policies and programs related to conservation and sustainability. 

Syarqawi Muhammad is currently the Principal Assistant Secretary for The Government Investment Companies Division under Ministry of Finance Malaysia where he administering budget allocation under development and operating expenditure and overseeing corporate related matters for SPV companies under MOF.

Joining the board of Cradle as Non-Independent Non-Executive Director in August 2021, Syarqawi is the perfect entrant as he bagged outstanding experience as an Administrative and Diplomatic Officer (PTD) since 2005 and held various positions along the way.

In 2013, Syarqawi was appointed as Consul for Education and Training (JPA) at the Consulate General of Malaysia in Frankfurt, Germany and affiliated with the German’s Education and Arts Ministry, German’s Universities and various companies namely BMW, BBraun, SGL Carbon, Osram and others.

Born in Kuala Terengganu, Syarqawi holds a Master of Muamalat Administration (Islamic MBA) from Islamic University of Malaysia and his expertise mainly covers waqf project development model where he orchestrates the establishment of Malaysian Waqf Foundation, higher education students’ development program, training development as well as corporate governance.

Datin Norazah Razali joined the board of Cradle as an Independent Non-Executive Director in September 2017. She serves as the Chairperson of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee.

Datin Norazah graduated with an LLB (Hons) from the International Islamic University Malaysia and received an MBA from the Imperial College Business School, University of London.

She began her career with the legal firm of Messrs. Sidek, Teoh, Wong & Dennis as a solicitor and was called to the Malaysian Bar in 1994. She left legal practice in 1997 to pursue her MBA studies in the United Kingdom. Upon obtaining her MBA, she returned to Southeast Asia to join Booz, Allen & Hamilton in Singapore in 1998 before joining the global management consultancy firm of Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in 2000. She was based in BCG’s Kuala Lumpur office and served BCG’s clients across the region. Datin Norazah held several leading roles at BCG before being named its Partner and Managing Director from 2010 – 2017. She currently remains a Senior Advisor with BCG Kuala Lumpur in its Public Sector practice.

Datin Norazah brings a breadth of 20+ years of experience as a strategy and management consultant having supported and advised businesses and organisations across the region. Her experience ranges from large scale business and organisational transformation, industry restructuring, talent and leadership development as well as governance.

Her other directorships include in public listed companies; MISC Berhad and Sime Darby Property Berhad where she chairs the Board Governance and Risk Committee as well as the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, respectively. She is also actively involved with several digital-based ventures in Malaysia and the UK as advisor and investor.

Tan Kar Hing has served as the Member of Parliament for Gopeng since December 2022. Previously, he served as the Simpang Pulai State Assemblyperson. Throughout his term as the 10-year state assemblyperson, he was elected as a Perak State Executive Council Member, which made him the Chairman of the Perak Tourism, Culture, and Arts Committee. He was also on the Perak Public Transport Committee, which worked with the state government and the Ministry of Transportation to support urban short-distance bus services.

He graduated from the University Putra Malaysia with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He actively participated in student movements as well as national democracy and human rights movements. Then he also went to the Konrad Adenauer School for Young Politicians (KASYP). He is interested in advancing national agricultural and food security reforms through sustainable development policies, as well as creating a new national development agenda and a new development path that narrows the gap between rich and poor in cities and towns through innovative urban planning.

Darina Yusof was appointed as an Independent Non-Executive Director in April 2024.

She has more than thirty years’ banking experience ranging from risk management to investment banking to sustainable finance. She was the Country Chief Risk Officer for Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Berhad for almost five years and was also on the Board of Directors for SCBMB Trustee Berhad during that period. Prior to that she had been the Country Chief Risk Officer for Standard Chartered Bank Indonesia.

Darina graduated from Oxford University with a BA (Hons) in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. She is also a CFA Charterholder.

Liyana Jamil is a senior executive with over 20 years of global experience spanning technology, travel, and consumer goods. Throughout her career, she has held leadership roles in multinational and global organizations, including The Coca-Cola Company and Agoda, driving strategy, analytics, business development, growth, transformation, and operations while building and leading diverse, multicultural teams across markets, functions, and business models.

Liyana began her career at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), advising leading organizations on strategy and transformation before specializing in the travel sector. She subsequently joined Jetstar, gaining firsthand operating experience in the aviation industry, before moving to Agoda during a pivotal stage of its growth. Over nearly a decade, she held leadership roles across business development, strategy, sales, and transformation, culminating in her leadership of Agoda’s global supply organization and contributing to the company’s evolution into one of the world’s leading online travel platforms.

She later joined The Coca-Cola Company, where she led strategy development across ASEAN and the Pacific, shaping growth priorities across markets and product categories. A graduate of the University of Chicago, Liyana has lived and worked across multiple countries throughout her career, giving her a deep appreciation for leading across cultures and navigating complex international environments.

As a Malaysian with a global perspective, she is passionate about supporting the growth of Malaysia’s technology and innovation ecosystem, drawing on her experience in travel technology, digital transformation, and global business leadership to help organizations scale, innovate, and compete in an increasingly connected world.