Ahamad rates child reading plan as highlight of career

The Star

PUTRAJAYA: Tears trickled down his face when Education director-general Datuk Dr Ahamad Sipon bid his colleagues an emotional farewell.

The retiring director-general, who is 56 years old, gave a touching speech to his staff at the Education Ministry yesterday.

Emotional farewell: Dr Ahamad (left) embracing Alimuddin after he formally handed over his duties in Putrajaya on Friday.

“I am leaving with a heavy heart. I attribute any success to the harmonious relations I developed over the years with my staff,” he said.

Dr Ahamad said the highlight of his career was the introduction the Early Intervention Class Programme for Reading and Writing, which made sure that no pupil went through primary school without being able to read and write.

“To me, the best satisfaction is knowing that a child can read and write,” he said.

Dr Ahamad started his career in education 32 years ago when he became a lecturer at the Ungku Omar Polytechnic in Ipoh in 1975.

The posts he had held before becoming director-general in February 2005 included Polytechnic Management Division director and deputy director-general (technical).

He obtained his doctorate in technical and vocational education from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the United States.

Despite being sad at leaving, Dr Ahamad said he was excited at taking up the post of director of the South-East Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (Seameo) Secretariat in Bangkok.

“Sometimes we have to do things differently to achieve success,” he said.

Deputy director-general (schools) Datuk Alimuddin Mohd Dom will be taking over Dr Ahamad’s duties until a replacement is named.