Tan Sri Dr. Palan

R. Palan is a social entrepreneur, educator and author. He serves as the Pro-Chancellor of the University of Cyberjaya. He is the founding director of SMRT Holdings Berhad and the Cyberjaya Education Group, and the founder of Yayasan Palan (The Palan Foundation), a Malaysian charitable foundation dedicated to education and community development.

Early life and education

Palan grew up in Melaka, Malaysia. He received his early education at St. Francis Institution, Melaka, before completing his secondary education at Campion Higher Secondary School in Tamil Nadu, India. He is from the Nagarathar (Nattukottai Chettiar) community, whose ancestral roots are in Tamil Nadu. His father was a rubber planter.

Between 1974 and 1979, Palan studied at the University of Madras, where he obtained a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, followed by a Master's degree in Medical and Psychiatric Social Work from the Madras School of Social Work. He later completed a Master of Science in the Psychology of Work at the University of Leicester, United Kingdom, the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School, United States, and a Doctor of Philosophy (Education) at Federation University Australia, Ballarat, Victoria.

Career Palan started his career as a Training and Human Resources Specialist.

In 1989, he founded the SMR (Specialist Management Resources) Group, which was listed on the ACE Market of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad through SMRT Holdings Berhad in 2006. The company's principal services were Education, Human Resources Services and HR Technology. The company was listed on the ACE market of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad.

In 2015, he co-founded Yayasan Palan (The Palan Foundation), a Malaysian non-profit organisation that provides educational scholarships and supports educational and community initiatives. In the same year, he was appointed Pro-Chancellor of the University of Cyberjaya.

In 2018, following the listing of Cyberjaya Education Group Berhad on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad, he became its Group Managing Director. The group includes the University of Cyberjaya and colleges in Cyberjaya, Kuching, and Kota Kinabalu.

He stepped down from his executive roles in 2022–2023 and continues to serve as Founder Director of both SMRT Holdings Berhad and Cyberjaya Education Group Berhad.

Palan previously served as a member of the Board of the University of Malaya and held positions as Director of UM Holdings Berhad and Chairman of the University Malaya Specialist Centre.

During Malaysia's COVID-19 State of Emergency, he served as an Independent Member of the Special Independent Emergency Committee, which advised and reported to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia).

In 2023, Palan contributed a chapter to Malaysian Indians and Education: Reimagined Development Opportunities, published by Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.