Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir Jamalullail is Executive Chairman of Dagang NeXchange Berhad (“DNeX”) with effect from 9 December 2022.

Prior to this appointment, he was Group Managing Director of the company since 1 October 2020, and earlier was appointed as Independent Non-Executive Director of the Company on 1 July 2020.

He previously held the position of Vice President, Downstream Marketing, Petroliam Nasional Berhad
(“PETRONAS”) and also served as Managing Director of PETRONAS Dagangan Berhad. He began his career as a Project Engineer with PETRONAS Gas Sdn Bhd in 1987, before joining PETRONAS in 1992 as Senior Executive of the company’s Corporate Planning & International Business Development unit.

He then left to join HICOM Holdings Berhad in 1995, where he assumed various senior positions in the company. In 1999, he lent his expertise to PERODUA when appointed Senior General Manager. Subsequently, he was appointed Executive Director of PERODUA Auto Corporation Sdn Bhd in 2002 and later promoted to Deputy Managing Director of PERODUA in October 2005.

Thereafter, he also held various key positions in established corporations including Proton Holdings Berhad as Group Managing Director, RHB Bank Berhad and RHB Islamic Bank Berhad as Independent Non-Executive Director. In July 2018, he was appointed as Chairman of the Board of Universiti Teknologi MARA until January 2021.

He served as the Chairman of the Pan Asian E-Commerce Alliance, the first regional e-Commerce alliance in Asia that aims to promote and provide secure and value-adding IT infrastructure and facilities for efficient global trade and logistics. He also served as Chairman of Scanwolf Corporation Berhad until 31 December 2023.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from University of Maryland, United States of America.

This initiative aims to digitise business documents in the cross-border trade process by connecting key stakeholders—banks, freight forwarders, shippers, and others—on a single, integrated platform to be linked with systems controlled by customs. It supports the digitalisation of cross-border trade by encouraging the establishment of a national digital trade platform in ASEAN Member States, in line with the Digital Trade Connectivity (DTC) Initiative led by ASEAN-BAC Thailand. A study by Mitsubishi Research Institute estimates that full digitalisation of trade could potentially uplift ASEAN’s GDP by USD 5.5 billion, driving greater efficiency, transparency, and growth in the region's trade and economic activities.