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.

Compliments have been streaming in from all directions for Rastam, whose merit-based rise to the top of the heap seemed destined from the day he joined the Foreign Service in 1974.

One senior official described his former boss’ service record as “diplomatic platinum.” Others give their quick take on him – “distinguished, articulate, competent and a listener.”

A veteran journalist based in New York during the time when Rastam was Malaysia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations provides an insight: “He was certainly impressive with his presentations and was admired by his fellow ambassadors. He was able to use language as a diplomatic tool and was well-liked by his staff despite his no-nonsense approach.”

Sensitive job

It’s a sensitive job handling foreign relations, what with the myriad of foreign policy concerns, cautious environment and specific details involved.

But Rastam, 59, was able to draw a line on the ground. Like any good diplomat, he avoided errors, kept away from controversy and had a remarkable command of policy.

And so there has been no impromptu “press avail” with Rastam while he was Wisma Putra’s hot shot. He avoided the spotlight to operate behind-the-scenes.

When the veteran diplomat sat down for this farewell interview at his office, days before bringing his illustrious career to a close, the exuberance in him still seemed fresh.

There were specific answers, often very detailed about his reactions and reasoning on events which shaped his life and career.

“I am grateful because I had a string of good bosses who helped guide me in my work,” Rastam begins.

“People like Emam Haniff, Yusof Hitam, Tan Sri Zakaria Ali and my mentor Tan Sri Zain Azraai. I learnt a lot from them. And I had Tan Sri Razali Ismail as an immediate boss both in the ministry and in New York. Then there were Tan Sri Ahmad Kamil Jaafar and Tan Sri Halim Ali, who subsequently became Chief Secretary to the Government.

“These were among the people whom I had the opportunity to work directly under. But in one’s career, one has to work hard if you want to succeed. That’s what I believed in,” says the ex-Malay College student.

Rastam’s talent and leader-like qualities was observed and nurtured early on by the towering Ahmad Kamil, who served as secretary-general from 1989 to 1996.

The young diplomat had been posted as minister counselor to Jakarta in September 1991 and was beginning to settle down in the busy Indonesian capital.

Before departing, Rastam met Ahmad Kamil in his office and also called on newly-appointed Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (now Tun).

“He (Abdullah) told me to assist the ambassador and help in matters involving the construction of the new embassy premises. I was prepared for a full three-year posting.

“Six months later, Ahmad Kamil visited Jakarta and after dinner at the Hilton, he told me to return to Wisma Putra. ‘Fine, when?’ I said. ‘Next month,’ he replied. I asked him if there was any special project he wanted me to handle back home because he had given me such responsibilities before.

“The boss said he wanted me to take over as undersecretary, South-East Asia and South Pacific division. I managed to negotiate with the ministry and extended my stay in Jakarta a little longer out of concern for my children’s schooling. In all, I lasted only eight months and 19 days in Indonesia” he recalls, offering that flicker of a smile again.

Rastam’s career was to flourish with ambassadorial postings to Pakistan, Bosnia Herzegovina, Indonesia, with the jewel in the crown being his appointment as permanent representative to the United Nations in New York from 2003 to 2005. He returned to be deputy secretary-general (1) and was promoted to secretary-general in a year.

The Pahang boy’s interest in a diplomatic career was kindled by a spanking new building – the former Wisma Putra near Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka in Kuala Lumpur (The new Wisma Putra is located in Precint 2, Putrajaya).

“I had a friend in school whose father was a senior civil servant who lived in a big house in Bukit Petaling. Whenever I went there, I had to walk some distance in as the bus would stop near Dewan Bahasa. There was this huge new building by the road (Wisma Putra)... there was something about it that triggered my interest as a student,” recalls Rastam, whose resume features a Certificate in Diplomacy from Oxford University.

Stellar moments

The father of three, with his trademark beard and penchant for rock music, recalls other stellar moments during his unique career, which included three separate stints in New York.

“Really, it is the personalities that you meet and work with along the way. People like King Ghaz (late Tun Ghazali Shafie, former Wisma Putra permanent secretary and Foreign Minister), for example. I did not know him personally as permanent secretary but I had the opportunity of working with him when he was the minister.

“I remember when I came back from Washington in 1983, there was a conference on Palestine being organised by Wisma Putra and I was asked by Zakaria to draft a speech for the Malaysian delegation.

“Frankly, I did not know much about Palestine then and had to start reading up. There was no Internet to fall back on. From the moment I was told at 5pm in the evening, I started reading up until 2am trying to figure out how to write the speech.

“But it helped with Zakaria being very much in command. He breezed through my draft and told me confidently to hand it to the minister,” says Rastam, who was also relied upon to write speeches for then Prime Minister Datuk Seri (now Tun) Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Throughout his career, Rastam proved time and again that the word “unable” was not in his vocabulary. He handled tricky diplomatic jobs efficiently with his natural charisma and skills.

The latest round of negotiations with Singapore occurred on his watch. Officials from Singapore and Malaysia met on Aug 26-27 in the republic for the second meeting of the Malaysia-Singapore Joint Implementation Team (MSJIT).

The meeting discussed the implementation details arising from the agreement reached between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong at the Leaders’ Retreat earlier on May 24.

Rastam describes his tenure as Ambassador to Indonesia from 1999 to 2003 as most exciting. Anti-Malaysia demonstrations were not a rarity even then in front of the embassy gates.

“I noticed the same faces involved in the protests. They are just a small group of people who were being excploited by certain parties. In fact, someone even offered to organise a pro-Malaysia street event for me,” he recalls.

Rastam says it must be understood that Indonesia is a big and diverse country, not just in terms of ethnic groups, but also regions.

“What more now with democracy and different people having different agendas politically as well as economically. So, there will be this problem of some Indonesians not being able to see the real perspective of relations between both countries,” he says, in a soft yet authoritative tone.

On the long road ahead for Wisma Putra, Rastam talks of the tremendous impact that senior diplomats can have on their junior officers. Guidance and imparting knowledge, a role he played masterfully, will remain key, he points out.

“I have always stressed that superiors must train their officers well and encourage them to do things the proper way. For Wisma Putra, the basic tool is language, both the spoken and written word.

“You can be an introvert as a person but that doesn’t mean that you cannot be a successful diplomat. And it also doesn’t mean that an extrovert can be an excellent diplomat, as most of the talk could be rubbish,” he says.

Among the many people that Rastam has guided include his son Zahid, 30, who is a counselor at Malaysia’s Permanent Mission in New York.

“Our relationship is strictly professional. We don’t discuss work. Zahid is charting his own career path. I wish him well and am just happy that I have a son who decided to follow in my footsteps,” says Rastam, who welcomed his third grandchild a fortnight ago.

There will be no father-son reunion this Hari Raya as Zahid is staying back to prepare for the coming United Nations General Assembly.

Back home, the ex-secretary-general is not about to fade away into the history books.

The indefatigable ex-USM rock band member tried to wake up at 10am on his first day of retirement, but that proved a tall order.

His telephone has been ringing with the private sector wanting to latch on to his rich knowledge and experience, knowing Rastam has not passed his “sell-by” date. “I will always be available for my country whenever needed,” says the ex-bureaucrat, who gained stature by virtue of his leading.

BORN: Sept 3, 1951; Pahang

PERSONAL: Married to Puan Sri Norizan Sulaiman with three children

EDUCATION: B. Soc Sc (Hons), USM; Master of Arts in International Relations, University of Lancaster; Certificate of Diplomacy from Oxford University

MAIN CAREER: Ambassadorial postings to Pakistan, Bosnia Herzegovina, Indonesia, permenant representative to the United Nation in Nwe York, deputy secretary -general I, secretary-general

HOBBIES: Aviation, military history and music

FAVOURITE FOOD: Sambal tumis ikan bilis and petai

MOST MEMORABLE

TRAVEL SPOT: Mecca for the Hajj

VALUES: Love, peace and harmony

MOTTO: Always willing to learn

CHERISHED OCCASION: Receiving credentials from the King on Sept 2 1994 for first ambassadorial appointment as High Commioner to Pakistan

IDOL: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad