Johor State Secretary retires

After 35 years serving in the Johor civil service, State Secretary Abdul Latif Yusuf has clocked out his attendance card for the last time yesterday.

He was asked by reporters, how does he feel about leaving the civil service after 35 years to which he expressed that he has a mixed feeling about it and he felt sad having to leave the civil service but at the same time felt happy and satisfied that he has ended his career as the top civil servant in the state.

Abdul Latif said that he didn’t expect that he will retire as the top civil servant in the state and he felt thankful that he did.

He was speaking to reporters after a simple farewell ceremony held at the Dato’ Jaafar Muhammas building in Kota Iskandar here yesterday.

In his farewell speech, he advised all Johor civil servants to remain fully committed and dedicated as spelt out clearly in the state ‘transformation programme’.

He elaborated that by saying ” whatever we do as a civil servant, we should fulfill the needs and expectations of the people who have high hopes on us in providing the best services which is in line with the national slogan “People First, Performance Now”.

When asked what was his personal work ethic, he replied by saying that the job of a civil servant has been entrusted to us by the people and the government and it has to be fulfilled accordingly.

Answering another question about his retirement plan, he added that he has none at the moment besides to have a good rest then will be going to Mecca to perform his pilgrimage and of course spending times with the family.

Amusingly he interjected to say that he needed some time to adjust to a retiree routine as for the last 35 years he has been waking in the morning, go to work with a neck tie.

Abdul Latif was promoted to be the 21st. Johor state secretary on October 20, 2006. He joined the Johor civil service in July 11, 1975 as a assistant land revenue collector in Kota Tinggi land office.

The new state secretary has not been announced yet. The official handing over of duty and the secrecy oath taking ceremonies before the Sultan of Johor is scheduled on March 14, 2011.