The 92-year-old finally had time to write a book to record significant moments in his life (Photo: Mohd Izwan Mohd Nazam/The Edge Malaysia)
I wrote this book in the hope that future generations would know what happened in the past,” says Tunku Tan Sri Shahriman Tunku Sulaiman.
In 1954, Shahriman was part of the crème de la crème who passed the Sixth-Form Higher School Certificate and earned a spot at the only university in the region at the time, the University of Malaya, located in Singapore.He had immense interest in history and pursued a bachelor’s degree in the field.
“I studied history, so the subject is very important to me. It’s also the reason I have been keeping diaries since the 1970s to write down my thoughts about all kinds of events and people I’ve encountered. I knew I was living through some of the most interesting times in Malaysian history.”
The 92-year-old had always thought about writing a book but never really sat down to go through the tedious process. “My friends encouraged me to pen down everything because they said we do not have many stories by civil servants, especially those who lived through those periods.” His diaries hold invaluable historical records.
When the pandemic struck, he was trapped at home like everyone else. Now that he had all the time on his hands, he was finally able to flip through his notebooks and organise his thoughts.
He gives credit to his secretaries Norazan Sidek and Syafina Shahrom, who helped decipher his “horrible handwriting” and listen to his dictation to produce legible notes.
“My handwriting is really bad. Only both of them can understand what I write, so I showed them my diaries.”
A Civil Life finally came to fruition after two years, but not without challenges and heartbreak in the process. Shahriman, his wife, Siti Hamidah, and their two children contracted the coronavirus in 2020. “This was during the peak Covid period and the vaccine was not yet available. My wife and I were in pretty bad shape.” Siti had breathing issues and was placed in a medically induced coma.
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After one month, the family was informed that she had only a few days to live. Shahriman, still weak and recovering from the virus, was adamant about saying his last goodbye to Siti, even though the process was physically difficult — family members had to wear full body protective suits to visit the patient. “I knew, as I held her hand tightly for the last time, I would be losing not just the mother of my children, but my best friend and confidante.”
In the book, Shahriman documents his first meeting with his beloved Siti. Their relationship started in 1958, the year he was appointed assistant state secretary in the Malayan Civil Service. It was also the beginning of his decades-long journey working alongside some of the most prominent political figures in our history.
Shahriman, then 26, “caught sight of an exotically attractive woman” at the State Government Treasury office in Ipoh when he dropped by to collect his allowance. At the time, he had to be transferred from Perak to Temerloh, Pahang, to fulfil his role as assistant district officer.
The pair stayed in touch by writing letters, sharing mundane details about their days and work. “We also wrote about our hopes and dreams for our future with each other.” A year later, they got married and welcomed their first child in August 1960. They would go on to have five more.
Growing up without a father — “My father abandoned my mother when she was seven months pregnant with me … He was dead to our family and his name was never to be mentioned again for at least the first decade of my life” — and raised by his maternal grandmother “Mak” and mother, Shahriman wanted to be everything his “indolent and self-indulgent” dad never was to his wife and children.
“I am very close to my children, as well as my grandchildren and great grandchild. They are all very successful in what they do — study or work — and I am happy with that. We try to go on family vacations at least once a year to gather everyone together.” They are planning their next holiday to Perth, Australia. “It’s very expensive to organise for more than 20 people,” he quips.
Shahriman was an ambitious workaholic. While working in Temerloh, his office was given a task by Semantan member of parliament, Abdul Razak Hussein, who was also the deputy prime minister, to handle land distribution issues that occurred in the villages.
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Alongside the district officer, an expatriate named Claude Gibb Ferguson, Shahriman managed to expedite the approval of the land ownership from what would have taken five years to just three days. His crowning achievement was recognised by the principled, meticulous Tun Razak.
As a result of his good performance, he was posted to Rompin, which “was even more isolated, located as it was in the middle of nowhere … I thought I was being punished, but for what?”
Little did he know that it was the man who would later become his lifelong mentor that had ordered his transfer. “The posting was not a punishment as I had thought, but his way of acknowledging my good work and a further test of my potential.”
After proving his capabilities in the wilderness for three years, Shahriman was finally — and literally — out of the woods. He was promoted to assistant secretary to the Cabinet Secretariat in the Prime Minister’s Department in Kuala Lumpur. He described his time there as one of the most memorable experiences in his civil service profession. “Attending cabinet meetings gave me a different insight into what was going on in the country and how the government functioned.”
His career took off as he received promotion after promotion. Adapting to different, odd roles was part of his job. Some posts were more interesting than others, some he was not so keen about. Nevertheless, he carried out the responsibilities with sincerity and integrity, staying faithful to his original mission when he signed up for government service, which was to help people.
Shahriman dedicates Chapter 13, A Leader and a Friend, to Tun Razak. “It was not just work between Tun and me,” he says. They knew each other’s families and celebrated one another’s milestones whenever they had the opportunity. Shahriman believed their similar characteristics — calm and reserved — brought them closer.
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He also put down his personal memories of the “founding fathers of our country”, whom he had the privilege of working with, including Tun Dr Ismail, Tun Tan Siew Sin and Tun V T Sambanthan.
Having served under three prime ministers — Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein and Tun Hussein Onn — Shahriman is planning a second book, which will explore these important figures including their personalities, duties and aspirations from his perspective.
Besides spending a few hours writing daily, he sticks to a weekly routine of physical activity. Given his age, he is in good shape as he is very cautious about maintaining his well-being.
On top of attending physiotherapy appointments, the lung cancer survivor takes a walk around Taman Botani Perdana, KL, three times a week. “I started this habit 50 years ago. The fresh air is good for your health. Young people should do this too,” he says.
Does he ever feel tired? “Certainly. My children would invariably advise me to rest. ‘Please skip your morning walk, Abah,’ they say. They tell me not to be silly, that Taman Botani Perdana will still be there next week. My reply is always the same, ‘Ah, but I might not be.’” He believes everyone deserves to live life to the fullest, no matter their age.
His mornings are filled with brain-boosting activities such as getting updates on his palm oil business in Sarawak, reading the news and writing to keep his mind awake. Living with helpers and guards at his house in Persiaran Duta, KL, Shahriman has his children and grandchildren taking turns to keep him company at night. “This is how my life is right now. I’m happy to be surrounded by them.”
'A Civil Life' (RM49.50) is available at Kinokuniya, Eslite, Tsutaya, MPH and online at gerakbudaya.com and barnesandnoble.com.
This article first appeared on July 17, 2023 in The Edge Malaysia.
