PUTRAJAYA: Former Defence Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohd Zuki Ali has been appointed as the new Chief Secretary to the Government effective tomorrow (Jan 1).
Zuki, 58, replaces Tan Sri Dr Ismail Bakar, who has held the post since August 2018. Ismail will be on leave before his mandatory retirement.
A statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office said that Zuki's appointment had received the consent from the King.
“The 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah Sultan Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah, upon recommendation from the prime minister through the Public Service Commission has consented to the appointment of Datuk Seri Mohd Zuki Ali as Chief Secretary to the Government effective January 1, 2020 to replace Tan Sri Dr Ismail Bakar who is taking (his) leave prior to compulsory retirement,” said the statement.
Zuki, 58, who will be the 15th Chief Secretary to the Government obtained a Masters in Business Administration from Nanyang University, Singapore.
He has vast knowledge and experience in the civil service where he has served for 28 years.
He had previously been appointed to serve in the Finance Ministry, Education Ministry, Home Ministry, Rural and Regional Development Ministry (now Rural Development Ministry), Home Ministry and Natural Resources and Enviroment Ministry (now split into jurisdictions of two separate ministries).
Apart from that, he had also served in the Istana Negara and Prime Minister's Department and has been the Sarawak Federal Secretary before being appointed as Defence Ministry secretary-general on April 18 this year.
The Prime Minister's Office also recorded its highest appreciation to Ismail for his service throughout his tenure as Chief Secretary to the Government.