KUALA LUMPUR, April 21 ― Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob described Tan Sri Ali Hamsa as a highly revered and respected top civil servant in a brief eulogy to the former chief secretary to the federal government who died this morning.

"On behalf of Keluarga Malaysia, I would like to express my deepest condolences to him and his family and I pray that they can muster the strength to endure this tough time,” he wrote on his official Facebook page.

"Allahyarham was the former Chief Secretary from 2012 to 2018 and a highly revered and respected figure of the civil service during his time serving,” the prime minister added.

Ismail Sabri described Ali’s death as a huge loss for the country.

"Allahyarham had served and contributed so much during his time of service and his death is a huge loss for the nation,” he said.

Johor-born Ali was the country’s 13th chief secretary to the government and served from July 2012 to August 2018.

His death at the Dublin Hospital in Ireland was confirmed by incumbent Chief Secretary Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali.

In 2020, Ali became a prosecution witness in the joint 1MDB audit tampering trial of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Arul Kanda Kandasamy, the last CEO of the scandal-riddled sovereign investment company.