KUALA LUMPUR: Former chief secretary to the government Tan Sri Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid was conferred the Outstanding Malay Award by Umno yesterday.

This was in recognition of his contribution to the country, especially in the civil service, for more than 30 years.

He was accompanied by his wife Puan Seri Sagiyah Salikin when he received the award from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at Umno's 62nd anniversary celebration here.

Sarji, 69, who has a Master's degree in Public Administration from Harvard University, held the chief secretary's post from 1990 to 1996.

One of the changes he made to the public service sector was to introduce a new approach to promote discipline by drafting the Public Officers (Conduct and Discipline) Regulations 1993 which replaced the Public Officers (Conduct and Discipline) Chapter D, General Orders.
He also chaired a committee that proposed the new Malaysia Remuneration System and a new performance evaluation form.

He joined the civil service as the Klang assistant deputy district officer on Jan 10, 1961.

In 1973, he was appointed by then prime minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein to be the first director-general of the Farmers Organisation Authority.

Ahmad Sarji, who also has an honorary degree in Business Administration from Nottingham-Trent University and an honorary doctorate in management from Islamic International University Malaysia, was awarded the 1999 Director of the Year Award by the Malaysian Institute of Directors.

He is currently the chairman of the Institute Islamic Understanding of Malaysia (IKIM), chairman of Northport Corporation Bhd and deputy chairman of Sime Darby Berhad.