An alumnus of the Harvard Business School, Dr Palan is currently the Founder of Yayasan Palan. Yayasan Palan is committed to providing equitable access to education. Dr Palan is also the Pro Chancellor of the University Cyberjaya. He has served on the Board of Universiti Malaya and as the Chairman of UM Specialist Centre. He has also been appointed to serve on the Jawatankuasa Penasihat Pelan Pembangunan Pendidikan Tinggi Malaysia (PPPTM) and Jawatankuasa Penasihat Khas Kewangan (JPKK).

Dr Palan founded two public listed corporations in the tech and education space. He has contributed over four decades to the world of education, work and healthcare with a mission to minimising inequality and promoting harmony. Previously Dr Palan was also appointed by Yang Di Pertuan Agong to serve as Ahli Jawatankuasa Khas Bebas Darurat during the Covid 19 pandemic crisis in early 2021. He lives with his family in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.