Ex-chief secretary Ali Hamsa dies

Former chief secretary to the government Ali Hamsa died today. He was 64 years old.

Current chief secretary Mohd Zuki Ali said Ali passed away at the Dublin Hospital in Ireland.

“Ali was a huge figure in the public service sector,” he said in a statement.

“His passing during this month of Ramadan is a great loss to the country and the civil service.”

Ali, who held a master’s degree in economics and a PhD in environmental sciences and economics, served as chief secretary from June 2012 to August 2018 under the administrations of Najib Razak and Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“I am the first chief secretary to the government to have witnessed the transition of power in Malaysia and I had a role to play and feel proud to have served the nation,” he had said in handing over his duties to his successor, treasury secretary-general Ismail Bakar.

Ali served in the public sector under a total of five prime ministers since the start of his career in 1981 when he joined as an administrative and diplomatic officer.