KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 8): Datuk Sri Nazir Razak has been appointed as the non-executive independent chairman of PLS Plantations Bhd with effect from Feb 10. Nazir will assume the post from the group's current chairman, Tan Sri Datuk Lim Kang Hoo, who will be redesignated as executive vice chairman of PLS. Lim is also the group executive chairman of Ekovest, which owns a 73.08% stake in PLS. Joining Nazir on the board is another former CIMB senior ex-banker, Tan Hong Kheng, who will join as an independent non-executive director on the same date. Nazir joins the board after the durian planter placed out 19 million new shares to him in a private placement exercise last month. The new shares were issued at 95 sen each.