# Chief Secretary to the Government of Malaysia

The Chief Secretary to the Government (Malay: Ketua Setiausaha Negara; Jawi: كتوا ستياءوسها نڬارا‎) is the most senior officer in the Malaysian Civil Service, secretary to the Cabinet of Malaysia and secretary-general of the Prime Minister's Department.

## History

The title of "Chief Secretary to the Government" in Malaysia dates back to the Federated Malay States. In 1911, it replaced the office of Resident-General as head of the British colonial administration. The inaugural Chief Secretary was Edward Lewis Brockman. After 1936, the administrative powers of Chief Secretary was transferred to the British High Commissioner.

## Appointment

The appointment of the Chief Secretary to the Government is made under Article 144(3) of the Federal Constitution, where it needs to be approved by His Majesty Yang di-Pertuan Agong, on the certificate of the Public Service Commission with the advice of the Prime Minister. Most of the chief secretary are a Administrative and Diplomatic Officer (PTD) and must obtained Postgraduate Diploma in Public Management (DPA) from National Institute of Public Administration (INTAN).

## Role

The Chief Secretary to the Government is the head of the Civil Service of Malaysia and the highest-ranking civil servant in the Federal Government of Malaysia. He attends Cabinet meetings as its secretary and monitors the implementation of its policies. He also heads the large Prime Minister's Department, which is in charge of, among others, supporting the Prime Minister, administration of the civil service, state protocol and Islamic affairs.
In addition, the Chief Secretary chairs the meetings of Ministry secretaries-general and meetings of Department directors-general.

## List of Chief Secretary to the Government

The following is the list of Chief Secretaries to the Government:
| # | Image | Chief Secretary to the Government | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Prime Minister |
| # | Image | Chief Secretary to the Government | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Prime Minister |
| 1. | | Tun Abdul Aziz Majid (1908–1975) | 1 August 1957 | 31 August 1964 | 7 years, 31 days | Tunku Abdul Rahman (1957–1970) Abdul Razak Hussein (1970–1976) Hussein Onn (1976–1981) |
| 2. | | Tan Sri Dato' Seri Abdul Jamil Abdul Rais (1912–1994) | 1 September 1964 | 6 November 1967 | 3 years, 67 days | Tunku Abdul Rahman (1957–1970) Abdul Razak Hussein (1970–1976) Hussein Onn (1976–1981) |
| 3. | | Tan Sri Dato' Seri Tunku Mohamad Tunku Besar Burhanuddin (1912–1994) | 7 November 1967 | 31 December 1969 | 2 years, 55 days | Tunku Abdul Rahman (1957–1970) Abdul Razak Hussein (1970–1976) Hussein Onn (1976–1981) |
| 4. | | Tan Sri Abdul Kadir Shamsuddin (1920–1978) | 1 January 1970 | 30 September 1976 | 6 years, 274 days | Tunku Abdul Rahman (1957–1970) Abdul Razak Hussein (1970–1976) Hussein Onn (1976–1981) |
| 5. | | Tun Abdullah Mohd Salleh (1926–2006) | 1 October 1976 | 31 December 1978 | 2 years, 92 days | Hussein Onn (1976–1981) |
| 6. | | Tun Abdullah Ayub (1926–2018) | 1 January 1979 | 30 November 1982 | 3 years, 334 days | Hussein Onn (1976–1981) Mahathir Mohamad 1st term (1981–2003) |
| 7. | | Tan Sri Dato' Hashim Aman (1929–2018) | 1 December 1982 | 14 June 1984 | 1 year, 197 days | Mahathir Mohamad 1st term (1981–2003) |
| 8. | | Tan Sri Dato' Paduka Sallehuddin Mohamed (b.1932) | 15 June 1984 | 31 January 1990 | 5 years, 231 days | Mahathir Mohamad 1st term (1981–2003) |
| 9. | | Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid (1938–2021) | 1 February 1990 | 16 September 1996 | 6 years, 229 days | Mahathir Mohamad 1st term (1981–2003) |
| 10. | | Tan Sri Abdul Halim Ali (b.1943) | 17 September 1996 | 31 January 2001 | 4 years, 137 days | Mahathir Mohamad 1st term (1981–2003) |
| 11. | | Tan Sri Samsudin Osman (b.1946) | 1 February 2001 | 2 September 2006 | 5 years, 214 days | Mahathir Mohamad 1st term (1981–2003) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (2003–2009) |
| 12. | | Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan (b.1952) | 3 September 2006 | 23 June 2012 | 5 years, 295 days | Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (2003–2009) Mohd. Najib Abdul Razak (2009–2018) |
| 13. | | Tan Sri Dato' Sri Dr. Ali Hamsa (1955–2022) | 24 June 2012 | 28 August 2018 | 6 years, 66 days | Mohd. Najib Abdul Razak (2009–2018) Mahathir Mohamad 2nd term (2018–2020) |
| 14. | | Tan Sri Datuk Seri Dr. Ismail Bakar (b.1960) | 29 August 2018 | 31 December 2019 | 1 year, 125 days | Mahathir Mohamad 2nd term (2018–2020) |
| 15. | | Tan Sri Dato' Seri Mohd Zuki Ali (b.1962) | 1 January 2020 | 10 August 2024 | 4 years, 223 days | Mahathir Mohamad 2nd term (2018–2020) Muhyiddin Yassin (2020–2021) Ismail Sabri Yaakob (2021–2022) Anwar Ibrahim (since 2022) |
| 16. | | Tan Sri Dato' Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar (b.1969) | 12 August 2024 | Incumbent | 211 days | Anwar Ibrahim (since 2022) |

### Living former Chief Secretaries

| Name | Term of office | Date of birth |
| Sallehuddin Mohamed | 1984–1990 | 9 September 1932 (age 92) |
| Abdul Halim Ali | 1996–2001 | 1 July 1943 (age 81) |
| Samsudin Osman | 2001–2006 | 3 March 1946 (age 79) |
| Mohd Sidek Hassan | 2006–2012 | 24 June 1952 (age 72) |
| Ismail Bakar | 2018–2020 | 19 January 1960 (age 65) |
| Mohd Zuki Ali | 2020–2024 | 11 August 1962 (age 62) |