Devoted to lead Penang forward

HIS appointment as the eighth Yang di-Pertua Negri of Penang was something that Tun Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak never imagined after serving 37 years in the civil service and as a diplomat.

“I honestly didn’t imagine that I would return to the government, and in my present capacity no less.

“But as they say, God works in mysterious ways and believing in fate is important,” he said.

Ahmad Fuzi said on being informed of the appointment, his immediate reaction was a sense of gratitude to Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and the state government.

“It gave me a sense of confidence with the endorsement to lead the state.

“However, I do acknowledge the need to recognise the challenges in fulfilling my role and responsibilities to the best of my ability.

“Whatever feelings of joy and elation that I had should be tapered by the sense of responsibility that goes with the assumption of the post,” said the 72-year-old, who was in the corporate sector for 12 years prior to the governorship.

Ahmad Fuzi was sworn in as the eighth Yang di-Pertua Negri of Penang on Labour Day.

The former Bukit Mertajam High School boy succeeded Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas, who served as the state’s seventh governor since 2001.

On his vision for Penang, Ahmad Fuzi said Penang has the potential of becoming a greater industrialised state.

“Penang is capable of scaling greater heights with its pool of talents and focus on green environment, modern infrastructure, arts, culture, tourism, educational excellence and digital economy.

“This is coupled with the state’s commitment to care for the people’s welfare while promoting unity and harmony.”

He said all of the elements were already in place and the only thing needed was to nurture them further.

In line with his constitutional role, Ahmad Fuzi said nothing gave him more satisfaction than to be able to devote his life to support, facilitate and contribute meaningfully in whatever way possible toward the good of the state.

“Problems and challenges will always come our way even with the best intentions and objectives, but success can be achieved with the formulation of the right policies, strategies, legal framework, effective administration and good dose of wisdom and maturity by the parties concerned.”

The Universiti Malaya graduate said his early childhood was mostly spent at his birthplace in Sungai Bakap on mainland Penang with all the charms and limitations of a kampung life.

He said his father, a former religious teacher, appreciated the value of English-medium education for his future that saw him being enrolled in various schools during his childhood.

Besides Bukit Mertajam High School, Ahmad Fuzi was a student at SK Stowell and King Edward VII School in Taiping before graduating from Universiti Malaya.

“Upon my graduation, I joined the Administrative and Diplomatic Service in 1972, and served in various capacities at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, before retiring in 2009.

“Getting into the diplomatic service was like a dream come true and I attended the UK Foreign Service Programme at Oxford University during my early years at the ministry.”

The former Wisma Putra secretary-general also served at the Malaysian missions in Moscow, the Hague, Canberra, Washington and Dhaka.

On his family, Ahmad Fuzi said both he and his consort Toh Puan Khadijah Mohd Noor missed seeing their daughter and son.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has made it difficult for us to meet up as a family.

“Our daughter lives in Durban, South Africa, with her family while our son works and stays in Kuala Lumpur. Hopefully we can be reunited once the borders reopen.”

The soft spoken yet firm head of state said he enjoyed a wide variety of food but nothing came close to Khadijah’s cooking.

“She is arguably the best cook in the family and is famous for her fish curry.

“Throughout our marriage, our home has always been the gathering point for both sides of the family.

“Our relatives look forward to attending open house events and dinners mainly because of Khadijah’s cooking, which she picked up from her mother,” he said.

Ahmad Fuzi said he also enjoyed local and foreign fruits with a particular liking for durian, especially the Penang-famed black thorn and Musang King variants.