Sundaran's death a big loss to ministry and country

The death of Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Sundaran Annamalai, 57, a highly qualified individual who has served in various positions throughout the world, is a big loss to the ministry and country.

Sundaran, who perished in the helicopter tragedy on Thursday, served as an Executive Director at the Board of the World Bank Group in Washington DC, and represented the Constituency of Brunei, Fiji, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Singapore, Thailand, Tonga and Vietnam.

He was among six people reported missing after a helicopter with six people on board went missing near Sebuyau and believed to have crashed, about 220km from Kuching, Sarawak on Thursday and the body of Plantation Industries and Commodities Deputy Minister Datuk Noriah Kasnon was found by a search and rescue team in a coastal area of Sebuyau at noon yesterday.

READ: LIVE UPDATES on the Sarawak helicopter crash

The helicopter was carrying six people - Datuk Noriah Kasnon, her husband Asmuni Abdullah, Kuala Kangsar MP Datuk Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad, Datuk Dr Sundaran, Noriah's bodyguard Ahmad Sobri Harun and Filipino pilot Rudolf Rex Ragas.

The helicopter left Betong, about 250km from Kuching at 4.12pm on Thursday and lost contact with the control tower three minutes later.

Noriah and Sundaran were in Betong on Thursday for work related to their ministry in the run-up to the Sarawak state election.

Sundaran had served in the Finance Ministry as the Director of National Strategy since 2014 before joining the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry.

READ: Third victim's clothing intact, had identity documents

He holds a BSc Ed (Hons), Physics/Mathematics from University Science Malaysia, Diploma in Public Management, INTAN, LLB (Hons) from University London, Certificate in Legal Practice from University Malaya, MBA (Finance) from Michigan State University, USA and PhD from International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan.

Sundaran from Taiping, Perak is married to Datin Talagavathi and has two children.

Working experience

* Public Enterprises Ministry (June 1982-Dec 1982) * PTD Cadet Training, INTAN (Jan 1983-Jan 1984) * Assistant Secretary, Finance Division Ministry of Finance, Multilateral Institutions (ADB), World Bank, (IDB), Domestic Loans (Jan 1984-April 1993) * As INTAN Programme Officer, Developed Teaching Modules on Privatisation Policy: Business Management and Business Management Simulations Games (June 1995-Sept 2000) * Pursued Japanese Language and Phd Course in Tokyo, Japan (Oct 2000-May 2004) * Head of Econometric Section Deputy Secretary Economics Division Secretary Economics and International Division (Aug 2004-Oct 2012) * Executive Director (SEA Group) The World Bank Group, Washington DC (Nov 2012-Oct 2014) * Director, National Strategy Unit, Ministry of Finance (Nov 2014-June 2015) * Deputy Secretary General (Policy), Finance Ministry (June 2015-Dec 2015) * Secretary-general, Plantations Industries and Commodities Ministry (December 16, 2015)