Malaysia loses highly respected figure in public service with death of Tun Ahmad Sarji

Born on Sept 16, 1938 in Tapah, Perak, Ahmad Sarji received his early education at the Government English School in Tapah and went on to study for a Master's degree in public administration at Harvard University, USA,

Ahmad, 82, began his career in public administration when he joined the Malayan Administrative Service (now known as the Administrative and Diplomatic Service) as Klang deputy assistant district officer on Jan 10, 1961.

He was Rembau District Officer in 1963 and then went on to become the Port Dickson District Officer, a post he held from 1964 until 1967 before appointed as Assistant Director (Service) of the Public Service Department the following year (1968) and then as Secretary (Cabinet Division) of the Prime Minister's Department in 1972.

After that, Ahmad Sarji was appointed to lead several government agencies, including as Director General of the Farmers Organisation Board (1973-1979) and Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) in 1981 and then as Deputy Director General of the Public Service Department (PSD) from 1981 to 1985.

In 1981, he was appointed Secretary General of the Ministry of Trade and Industry and held the post until Jan 31, 1990.

The peak of Ahmad Sarji's career in the civil service was when he was appointed Chief Secretary to the Government from Feb 1, 1990 until his retirement on Sept 16, 1993 and then continued to hold the post on contract until Sept 15, 1996.

The chairman of Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (IKIM) had also served as Pro-Chancellor of Universiti Tun Abdul Razak (UNITAR) in 2003 and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in 2006, chancellor of Universiti Tun Abdul Razak (UNIRAZAK) in 2012 and Malaysia's chef-de-mission for the London Olympics in 2012.

In June 2008, Ahmad Sarji was bestowed the Seri Setia Mahkota Malaysia (SSN) which carried the title "Tun".

In December 1962, he married Toh Puan Sagiyah Salikin and they were blessed with five children.