Upgrading the Civil Service: An Oral History Session with Tan Sri Samsudin Osman, Chief Secretary to the Government (2001 – 2006)

The former KSN extolling the virtues of hard work

The Oral History team met up with Tan Sri Samsudin Osman on 23^rd December 2008 at Kompleks Perbadanan Putrajaya. Tan Sri is the President of Perbadanan Putrajaya and Chairman of the Employee Provident Fund (EPF). Overlooking the wide boulevards of Precinct 3, Tan Sri’s office was filled with art and books; against one wall stood a collection of watercolours which we later found out was Tan Sri’s own works.

We got the soft-spoken Tan Sri to tell us a bit about his background and learned that Tan Sri Samsuin started his primary education at Sekolah Ayer Molek before enrolling at the English College in Johor Bahru. He spent his secondary school years at the prestigious Royal Military College in Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpur. Tan Sri obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Geography from Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur and a Masters degree in Public Administration from the University of Pennsylvania in the United States.

It was direct from university to the civil service for Tan Sri. In the civil service, he held several important positions that included being the Deputy Director and Secretary in various departments of Public Administration Institute (INTAN) as well as several Ministries. Tan Sri also served as the Federal Secretary for Sabah from 1990 to 1994, the Director General of the Public Service Department in 1998 before being appointed Chief Secretary to the Government of Malaysia in 2001, a post he held until 2006.

Well-known in the public service circles for his strong principles, Tan Sri Samsudin spoke of the importance of strong work ethics. He recalled how, as Chief Secretary to the Government, he would check and recheck all elements of his decisions before finalising them, in view of the fact that their impact would be felt throughout the entire civil service.

Interestingly, Tan Sri brought up the matter of document management, specifically the importance of keeping chronological records in hard copy. In the age of e-mails and virtual communications, Tan Sri lamented that most people neglected keeping accurate and comprehensive physical records.

Tan Sri Samsudin recounted his experience working under the fourth Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. His former boss, he said, had a very effective management system and, contrary to popular opinion, was open to suggestions on national issues and policies. In line with Tun Dr. Mahathir’s drive to increase government efficiency, Tan Sri Samsudin was entrusted with the task of upgrading the government delivery system, utilising information technology as its mechanism. A result of the computerised and networked civil service, information flow eased and efficiency markedly improved, Tan Sri noted.

At the end of the session, Tan Sri Samsudin mentioned the importance of learning history, particularly the history of public administration. It is important to learn and understand the events of the past and not repeat them, he stressed. He hoped for a better civil service, one that would serve the country with integrity and trust.

An avid painter, Tan Sri has had his watercolours featured in numerous watercolour exhibitions and publications. Apart from painting, the former KSN loves outdoor activities, particularly fishing and camping. Golf is another favourite, and for quieter moments, Tan Sri enjoys immersing himself in the study of Islam, citing Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jailani as his favourite author.