Headline Outstanding leadership guided by trust MediaTitle KL

Headline
MediaTitle
Date
Section
Page No
Language
Journalist
Frequency
Outstanding leadership guided by trust
KL Lifestyle
14 Jan 2012
NEWS
12to15
English
N/A
Monthly
Color
Circulation
Readership
ArticleSize
AdValue
PR Value
Full Color
74,795
120,000
2008 cm²
RM 34,645
RM 103,935
Headline
MediaTitle
Date
Section
Page No
Language
Journalist
Frequency
Outstanding leadership guided by trust
KL Lifestyle
14 Jan 2012
NEWS
12to15
English
N/A
Monthly
Born on September 16 1938 in Tapah
Perak to Abdul Hamid Mohd Aroop and
Mahani Mohd Sidek Tun Ahmad Sarji
had a happy childhood He recalls I was born
in my maternal grandmother s house 4 8km
north of Tapah town The house was just a few
metres away from the mosque so I heard the
call to prayers from the time I was born I had
no memory of this of course but it made an
impression
He was unaware of his entry into this world
but his parents and relatives had vivid memories
of his birth I caught my entire clan s attention
as I arrived with a primal wail grins Tun Ahmad
Color
Circulation
Readership
ArticleSize
AdValue
PR Value
Kebangsaan Sungkai
Full Color
74,795
120,000
2008 cm²
RM 34,645
RM 103,935
Tragically he and his
work in the Federation Establishment Office as
wife died in a car accident in 2004 Tun s sister
assistant secretary and so began his climb to
Ghazimah also retired as assistant principal
the top
of Tarcisian Convent in Ipoh Asnah retired as
Never before has a civil servant scaled such
lecturer at Institut Aminuddin Baki while Zarham
dazzling heights yet Ahmad Ahmad Sarji is
retired as teacher at Sekolah Tunku Durah
known for his humility decorum and sense of
duty There is a slight military air about Ahmad
Sarji since he is tall well built and dignified
My brother Ahmad Sarkawi died aged I feel almost compelled to stand and salute
three of diarrhoea and Zamrah the infant girl him However he stares at me in mounting
astonishment as I enter his SPPK office which
between Zarham and Tyibah died a few days
after birth says Tun His father died in 1990 he goes to every Friday He points at my gold
and his mother now 92 is immobile after three snake necklace jewelled snake head buckle
strokes
monstrous sized rings bangle and shoes with
Sarji My mother s labour had taken longer
Does it really interest people to know about my face painted on them
than normal and she suffered considerable loss
I was born in Tapah at the foot of Cameron
my love life asks Tun when I query about his
of blood I was delivered not by a doctor but wife
Highlands in 1938 and became District Officer
a bidan village midwife My mother had an
When I reply it is mandatory he grins In of Rembau Negeri Sembilan in October 1963
epic struggle to bring me into existence and the March 1961 I was with my friend Yahaya Talib It was beyond a dream come true recalls Tun
facts of my difficult birth have been related to me who was driving his Hillman Minx and I saw a Ahmad Sarji I was 53 when I became Chief
again and again by my aunts and uncles That very sweet girl pushing her bicycle down Watson Secretary to the Government on Feb 1 1990
my teenage mother suffered greatly to bring her Road in Klang I was the deputy assistant district which was the culmination of my civil service
firstborn child into this world is indisputable
officer then I said to Yahaya That s a lovely girl career A position given to me in trust by Tun Dr
When his mother married she was only 18 looks like Dolores Hart
Mahathir Mohamad It was a huge honour for
His father lost his first wife Safiah a Bidor girl
It was love at first sight and Ahmad Sarji me to serve the country in this capacity I had
three years before he married Ahmad Sarji s was smitten and remains so to this day
no inkling I would be made Chief Secretary nor
mother
I discovered she was a teacher and I went expected it
His grandfather died from an attack by to hear her participate in the National Language
His achievements he was most proud of
labourers The ring he wore was of great Month contest I swung into action to devise during his tenure as Chief Secretary
reverence to his sons Since my father was the a plan to meet this lady I beseeched Yahaya
I improved the administration initiated
eldest it went to him In my teens he gave the to appoint Sagiyah as polling clerk for the client charter installed performance indicators
ring to me and it has been on my finger ever forthcoming Klang and Port Swettenham Town launched quality service movement and
since On my death this ring will be handed to Council elections so I could visit her At the end introduced 15O 9000
beams the ex Chief
my son Ariff Tuah and I hope he will pass it to his of the polling I was invited to her home
Secretary to the Government with justifiable
son and so on thereafter
The first few meetings established an pride I introduce many innovations and of
My earliest days were spent in an extended understanding and he took her to dinners and course cut red tape and changed certain rules
family consisting of my parents grandparents movies all done within the bounds of religious and regulations I eliminated unproductive
uncles aunts and elder cousins I was never propriety of course They married on Dec 7
practices and campaigned to clear backlog of
alone and soon became a favourite son of the 1962
work My term was extended twice and I retired
He cites his 5ft tall petite wife as his anchor aged 58 in 1996 In 2008 he was made Tun
kampung and earned the affectionate nickname
The Holy Prophet said the most precious thing by the King of Malaysia He has been pro
of blanja belikot
Blanja came from manja
a man can have is a righteous wife and I am chancellor of Universiti Tun Abdul Razak since
pampered child and belikot is one and only
2003 and is also a pro translator of the Universiti
Having started his career in the civil service lucky to have Sagiyah
Their eldest daughter Dr Sazilah is Professor Kebangsaan Malaysia
in 1961 Ahmad Sarji scaled the stellar heights
to reach the pinnacle as Chief Secretary to the of Radiology at the Universiti Malaya Medical Outstanding Leadership
Government in 1990 and held the post until Centre Farah Salizah and Farah Suhanah are He had no idea he would be appointed
1996 Upon retirement he was appointed as non identical twins The first is principal of Seri
chairman of Malaysia s mightiest institutional
the chairman of PNB Malaysia s most powerful Cempaka School and the latter runs a legal
investor PNB He had spent over three decades
and richest holder of unit trusts Permodalan practice Suryani was an accounts executive
in the civil service and being put out to pasture
National Berhad PNB manages a staggering with Petronas Carigali and is now with Chopard
was anathema to this dynamic and go getting
RM132 billion of unit trusts on behalf of Their youngest and only son is Ariff Tuah in
veteran
Bumiputeras and non Bumiputeras However honour of Hang Tuah one of Ahmad Sarji s
Ahmad Sarji renowned for his sense
despite his raucous hullabaloo of a delivery heroes a golf champion though the handsome
of justice and a reputation untainted by any
Tun is the opposite in real life maintaining a low 38 year old bachelor and is a professional golfer
slander or scandal admits blithely Yes I am
Sagiyah and I now have 12 grandchildren
profile while ensuring his duties are carried out
quite embarrassed to tell you that I still had a
beams the proud
His mother Mahani Sidek was thrifty to six boys and six girls
big housing loan when I retired My gratuity was
a fault She spoke no English and read no grandfather The best times of my life are with
small so I was keen to take up offers from the
books She had simple ideas about what she my family listening to them talk and engaging
private sector so that I could continue working
wanted for her children—
she just wanted us to in friendly banter Once we attended a wedding
and paying the instalments But Tun Dr Mahathir
achieve happiness and success in our life says and Ariff Tuah and his sisters were talking about
recommended me to Tun Ismail Ali so I was
Ahmad Sarji She often told us I wish to see what they would inherit from me Ariff said he
appointed chairman of PNB a month after
my family admitted to Paradise in the hereafter
wanted my sports car house and all properties
retirement I was lucky I would be getting an
She helped us by telling us to read the Quran Suhanah the lawyer put a dampener by
income to pay for my house
When we felt sleepy we would ask mother to declaring The properties can go to you but do
His chairmanship was not alien
I was
sprinkle water on our faces If the water proved you know Babah also has debts and mortgages
already a member of the PNB board for five
ineffective we were occasionally given some and these will go to you too
years and served a year as deputy chairman so
After being a District Officer he was
slaps Brother Ahmad Rathi was the victim
I was not thrown into the deep end It was not
awarded a federal scholarship in 1966 to pursue
always
a new or strange experience and I have been
Ahmad Rathi was a good artist and a Diploma in Public Administration at The Hague
chairman for 15 years now
retired as assistant principal of Sekolah Jenis Netherlands After graduation he returned to
Tyibah the youngest retired as administrative
officer at the Foreign Ministry
From an initial RM200 million in 1978 PNB
Headline
MediaTitle
Date
Section
Page No
Language
Journalist
Frequency
Outstanding leadership guided by trust
KL Lifestyle
14 Jan 2012
NEWS
12to15
English
N/A
Monthly
Color
Circulation
Readership
ArticleSize
AdValue
PR Value
Full Color
74,795
120,000
2008 cm²
RM 34,645
RM 103,935
Malaysia proud by winning a gold and silver in
the Commonwealth Games gold medal at the
Comonwealth Under 18 Games and emerged
champion for Asia Pacific Southeast Asia and
200 companies mostly local though we are Asia At the World Bowls Championship in
allowed to invest overseas
2008 Safuan Said became world champion
The original intention of PNB is to look and Malaysia came out third in the world behind
after the welfare of Bumiputeras and give a
now manages RM132 billion We look after the
money of 10 6 million holders and we have
paid dividends and bonus of RM83 billion since
1981 Ours are statutory funds invested in over
reasonable return to their investments
Now
11
are non Bumis who know a good deal
when they see one For instance the Amanah
1 Malaysia is highly recommended to non
Bumis which give a decent 6 interest As of
August 31
2011
1 229 million non Bumis
had invested RM23 4 billion while 9 317 million
New Zealand and Australia Tun Ahmad Sarji is
also president of the Malaysian Malays Cricket
Associations and chairman of professional golf
of Malaysia
It was Hang Tuah who uttered the immortal
words Tak Melayu hilang di dunia the Malays
will never be gone from this world
Ahmad Sarji waxes lyrical over contemporary
hero P Ramlee
Who else but P Ramlee could
simultaneously be a singer composer actor
director song writer and script writer There
are always social messages in his movies even
if they were comedies He was a genius and a
legend in his own lifetime and justly so
He has seen
all of P Ramlee s movies
countless times and it appears Ahmad Sarji
Man of diverse interests
His fondness of movie legend P Ramlee is
legendary and he has co written five books on
this icon To prove I am not suffering from a lack
is on a covert mission—to
recover the three
missing P Ramlee movies
Few know there
are three P Ramlee movies that are lost though
Bumiputeras had invested RM 108 134 billion so
hopefully not destroyed I have seen searching
of information this time I remark I am one of
proportionately the non Bumis have invested a the few who know the P in P Ramlee stands for Bakti Noor Asmara and Si Tora Harimau
higher ratio
Still to step into Tun Ismail Ali s giant shoes
was a formidable challenge I never dreamed
I would be succeeding such an icon and there
were many other worthy contenders
The two vastly different hats he has worn
seem polar opposites but he points out various
similarities
As head of civil service I was the guardian
not only of administrative work but moral ethics
as I was in charge of discipline morale ethics
and quality of work At PNB it is all about
business investing buying and selling of stocks
though we are primarily a long term holder of
equities We buy properties on a large scale and
are more concerned about capital gains and
Jadian
for Puteh
He seems amused
I have three heroes
in my life Tunku Abdul Rahman Hang Tuah
and P Ramlee I started admiring Tunku from
Form Three in 1953 when I took History as a
subject We met on two occasions by chance
Kong to KL where he went for eye treatment
in the late Eighties I kissed his hand and took
photos with him
Ahmad Sarji also
received
letters from
Tunku Abdul Rahman after becoming Chief
Secretary Did Tunku ask for special favours to
benefit certain cronies Yes he did But for his
lowly staff
Ahmad Sarji shakes his head in admiration
Tunku did not ask for some grand or valuable
are
and
concessions or favours that would benefit him
subscribe to high fiscal discipline and fiduciary
responsibility These are the dissimilarities
However our governing principles are
the same We are prudent yet visionary as we
financially He was only concerned about his
about
the
bottomline
cannot buy a stake and be permanent sleeping
partner In PNB it is easy to see how we perform
due to our annual reports and balance sheets
so anyone knows our profit and loss figures
Some assume it is tougher as Chief
Secretary to produce demonstrative reports
but there are tangible results For instance the
World Competitive Report from Geneva listed
Malaysia as the 4th Best Civil Service in the
world This is a huge accolade as our delivery
staff getting a pension when he was gone
He asked
me if I
could
extend
his
clerk
stenographer Bernadette Lee s contract service
for two more years hire K Markandan the son
of his long term driver to be his chauffeur extend
the contract of his secretary Cheah Phee Cheok
and two gardeners and grant an allowance for
his part time driver He was only concerned
about his staff s welfare
I was stunned and
inspired by the humility of Bapa Merdeka I was
only too happy to grant all his requests
Ahmad Sarji visited Tunku five times in
hospital and reported to Dr Mahathir On
of services has met international benchmarks
Dec 6 1990 the prime minister arrived at 9pm
Transparency International has lauded us for and stood with Ahmad Sarji by the great Tunku s
introducing and adapting 15O 9000 and our bedside as his life ebbed away Dr Mahathir
measures to eradicate corruption
to check with Shaw Brothers but to no avail
The studio s basement in Singapore was once
flooded so maybe they were lost for good But
hope is eternal I am very fond of his Labu Labi
and Bujang Lapok series
Once onboard a MAS flight from KL to Penang
in 1986 and another on MAS flight from Hong Guardian of heritage
dividends from our investments than making
a fast buck by buying and selling quickly We
concerned
Yes they had been made but no one
can find any reels I even went to Hong Kong
ordered me to announce Tunku s death which
As the president of Heritage of Malaysia Trust
or Badan Warisan Malaysia BWN from 1995
till now Ahmad Sarji is heavily involved in the
preservation
restoration and conservation of
heritage buildings and sites
These include Rumah
Penghulu
Abu
Seman which is now in the gardens of 2 Jalan
Stonor in KL KL Heritage Trails 8 Heeren
Street in Malacca and Rubber Smokehouse
in Lunas Kedah As a child I used to admire
such buildings and now I am in a position to help
conserve our heritage said Ahmad Sarji
His list of accomplishments runs for miles
and fans are advised to purchase his multi kilo
book Given in Trust I am not running for office
so I am free to speak my mind although I always
maintain a low profile I avoid being the cynosure
of attention and the title of my book Given in
Trust is my motto and philosophy in a nutshell
he exclaims Everything in my life has been
given in trust As son of my parents I am given
in trust Ditto as husband to my wife father to
my children grandfather to grandchildren Chief
Secretary to the Malaysian Government and
chairman of PNB All my positions have been
given to me in trust
Ahmad Sarji is a picture of robust health
The secret of my health and stamina is a gift
from God Some say it is my genes but surely
I did at 10 50pm
that is God s gift too Oh I also take the multi
finds time to play lawn bowls I am bowled over
As for Hang Tuah Tun Sarji did not name
vitamins Proviton
by this revelation and foolishly blurt But who his only son and youngest child Ariff Tuah for
I play golf regularly walk a lot and have no
plays lawn bowls these days Sounds so old
nothing His book Hang Tuah
Tokoh Epik inner secrets I am grateful to God s blessings
fashioned and Victorian
National was written at the behest of his wife and don t complain Perhaps my sense of
Ahmad Sarji bristles and walks to his desk
Toh Puan Sagiyah as a present for Ariff Tuah
gratitude to the Almighty radiates from inside
to retrieve a book He sniffs indignantly I shall
Hang Tuah is the embodiment of the feudal me and contribute to my well being This is my
give you a book I wrote called Lawn Bowls
age of absolute power when disobedience self analysis
In Malaysia You really suffer from a lack of
to the Sultan was an unforgivable crime
I am so blessed as I have my wife Toh Puan
information he admonishes sternly as I hang
derhaka Hang Tuah showed his absolute Sagiyah Salikin five kids and 12 grandchildren
my head
loyalty to the Sultan by killing his friend Hang They provide endless joy and contentment for
I have been president of the Malaysian
Jebat who had been disobedient to the Sultan me On Dec 8 2011 my wife and I celebrated
Lawn Bowls Federation since 1997 and
in his determination to serve another ideal
49 years of marriage and this year will be 50
president of the Asia Lawn Bowls Federation
faithfulness to one s friend says Ahmad Sarji glorious years
since 2000 Our lawn bowlers have done
Remarkably for a busy man Ahmad Sarji
Headline
MediaTitle
Date
Section
Page No
Language
Journalist
Frequency
Outstanding leadership guided by trust
KL Lifestyle
14 Jan 2012
NEWS
12to15
English
N/A
Monthly
Color
Circulation
Readership
ArticleSize
AdValue
PR Value
Full Color
74,795
120,000
2008 cm²
RM 34,645
RM 103,935
Headline
MediaTitle
Date
Section
Page No
Language
Journalist
Frequency
Outstanding leadership guided by trust
KL Lifestyle
14 Jan 2012
NEWS
12to15
English
N/A
Monthly
Color
Circulation
Readership
ArticleSize
AdValue
PR Value
Full Color
74,795
120,000
2008 cm²
RM 34,645
RM 103,935
Headline
MediaTitle
Date
Section
Page No
Language
Journalist
Frequency
Outstanding leadership guided by trust
KL Lifestyle
14 Jan 2012
NEWS
12to15
English
N/A
Monthly
Color
Circulation
Readership
ArticleSize
AdValue
PR Value
Full Color
74,795
120,000
2008 cm²
RM 34,645
RM 103,935