The appointment of the new chairman for MDM was announced in the business section of The Star, 4th September 2003. 

The article is reproduced below:

Medical Defence Malaysia Bhd has appointed Tan Sri Dr Abu Bakar Suleiman as chairman effective June 26.

He succeeds Dr Eddie Soo Fook Mun who has been appointed executive director with effect from the same date while Dr Richard Veerapen continues as deputy chairman. 

Abu Bakar obtained his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from Monash University, Australia in 1968 and a Master of Medicine from University of Singapore in 1974. 

A member of The Royal Australian College of Physicians, and an honorary fellow of the American College of Physicians, he began his career as a medical officer with the Health Ministry in 1969 and subsequently completed his training in Internal Medicine before becoming a consultant physician with the Department of Nephrology of Hospital Kuala Lumpur. 

In 1975, he was visiting fellow to the Division of Nephrology of Georgetown University Hospital, Washington DC as well as Prince Henry's Hospital of Melbourne, Australia. 

The following year, he returned to be the head of the Department of Nephrology of Hospital Kuala Lumpur.  

Abu Bakar was the Director General of Health from 1991 to 2001.