PETALING JAYA: Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has made history by having its first female mayor, Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif, who will officially take on the role on August 15.
In a statement, her appointment was confirmed by Dr Zaliha Mustafa, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for Federal Territories on August 14.
Maimunah, 63, is no stranger to leadership roles. She previously served as the Mayor of Penang Island City Council (MBPP) and as Malaysia’s Special Envoy on Sustainable Urbanisation.
Her impressive resume also includes her tenure as the Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).
With a background in town planning, Maimunah graduated from the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology in the UK.
She started her career at the Penang Island municipal council in 1985 and rose through the ranks to become its Director of Planning and Development in 2003.
In November 2009, Maimunah broke new ground by becoming the first General Manager of George Town World Heritage Incorporated, the organisation responsible for overseeing the George Town World Heritage Site, which had been recognized by UNESCO in July 2008.
Her appointment as Kuala Lumpur’s 15th mayor marks another significant milestone, replacing Datuk Seri Kamarulzaman Mat Salleh, whose tenure ends on August 14.
