SINGAPORE - Mr Chaly Mah Chee Kheong will succeed Mr Liew Mun Leong as consultancy firm Surbana Jurong Group's chairman, after Mr Liew retired in September this year amid the furore of his former maid Parti Liyani's acquittal for theft in court.

Mr Mah, 64, will officially step into his new role from Friday (Jan 1).

He is currently chairman of the Singapore Tourism Board and sits on several boards including at the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Mr Mah was previously chairman of the Singapore Land Authority and chief executive of Deloitte Asia-Pacific and South-east Asia.

Surbana Jurong said on Monday that its board believes Mr Mah's leadership credentials will lead to growth for Surbana and deliver "sustainable social and economic impact for our clients".

Mr Liew is the founding chairman of Surbana Jurong.

In stepping down in September from his position in Surbana Jurong, as well as his role as chairman of Changi Airport Group, Mr Liew, 74, said he did not want his role in the Parti Liyani case "to be a distraction to (his companies') respective boards, management and staff, amidst their many critical priorities".

The High Court acquittal of his former maid for theft had raised questions about the motivations for the police report that was made against her, and led to wider debate in Singapore about possible systemic inequalities in its judicial system.

In the statement, Mr Mah thanked Mr Liew for his contributions, and said he "was the driving force behind Surbana Jurong's growth strategy".

He added that he wants to make the group a global player.

Surbana Jurong employs over 16,000 people. It is headquartered in Singapore and has created a presence in more than 30 countries.

Although it provides wider consultancy services, its work centres on construction projects, including homes, roads and industrial parks.