Kuala Lumpur, Nov 25 (IANS): The World Bank Group on Monday said it has appointed Judith Green as country manager for Malaysia, a role that will unify country-level leadership to better support Malaysia's public and private sector priorities.

This newly created position provides a single point of contact for access to the full breadth of World Bank Group products and services and will enhance its ability to address global challenges and drive development with speed, efficiency, and impact, reports Xinhua news agency, citing a World Bank statement.

"Malaysia has successfully diversified its economy from one dependent on agriculture and commodities to value-added manufacturing and services sectors, which have driven economic growth. Expanding our engagement with both the public and private sectors under this new leadership approach will enable us to better support Malaysia in its development ambitions," said Green.

A Jamaican national, Green most recently held the position of country manager for the Pacific Islands, Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group and the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets, where she focused on developing new opportunities for private-sector investments to drive jobs and growth in the Pacific.

Malaysia is one of 21 World Bank Group offices transitioning to a single World Bank Group country manager or resident representative for the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, International Development Association, IFC, and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency.