Up Close and Personal with Tan Sri Rastam Isa

STERN when he means business, Tan Sri Rastam Mohd Isa can even things up when he flashes that flicker of a smile.

Optimism he exudes all the time. Aptitude, most definitely. Good humour? At times. These have been one of the most obvious personality traits of the veteran diplomat, who clocked out on Thursday after a dazzling 36-year career in Malaysia’s foreign-policy establishment, culminating in a four-year stint as Wisma Putra secretary-general.