PUTRAJAYA, April 25 — A sombre mood enveloped the Sheikh Daud Al-Fathoni Hall, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque here, when more than 500 family members, civil servants and friends paid their last respects to the late Tan Sri Ali Hamsa.

Among the dignitaries present were Senior Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof and Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

Also paying their last respects to the former chief secretary to the government (KSN), were Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani, Attorney General Tan Sri Idrus Harun, Communications and Multimedia Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohammad Mentek and former Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) president Datuk Omar Osman.

Khairy, when met by reporters said he learnt a lot about the government administration from Ali who he described as one of the best KSN in the country.

“We were close and I was appointed as a minister when I was 33 years old and had no experience in government administration at that time.

“I learnt a lot of things from him, Tan Sri was a generous man and had given me a lot of advice and guidance,” he said.

Khairy said one of the pieces of advice given by Ali that he remembered the most was a leader must have the ability to manage an organisation with existing human resources.

Omar said the late Ali was very concerned about the welfare of civil servants and his death would  be deeply felt by many.

“The late Tan Sri Ali would never decline and always tried his best to attend any discussion with Cuepacs...may his soul be placed among the faithful,” he said.

Ali, 66, who served as the 13th KSN for six years from 2012, died at the Dublin Hospital in Ireland on Thursday (April 21).

Ali’s body arrived in an aircraft at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at about 6.30am and was taken to his house at about 8.26am.

Among those who paid their last respects Ali at his residence were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, KSN Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali as well as National Centre for Governance, Integrity, and Anti-corruption director-general Datuk Seri Mohd Sallehhuddin Hassan.

The remains were then taken to Masjid Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin in Precinct 3 for the public to pay their last respects at Sheikh Daud Al-Fathoni Hall from 11am to 1pm.

The funeral prayers were held after the Zohor prayers at the Main Prayer Hall, led by the Chief Imam of the mosque Nor Azamir Alias and attended by more than 500 people.

The body was then brought to the Precinct 20 Muslim Cemetery for burial. — Bernama