KUCHING: Angkatan Zaman Mansang (AZAM),Sarawak Development Institute (SDI) and their subsidiaries hosted an appreciation dinner for their former Chief Executive Officer, Datu Aloysius Dris.73, at Riverside Majestic Hotel here on Friday.
The event gave AZAM and SDI Board Members and the staff of Greater AZAM, namely, AZAM, SDI, Faradale Media-M Sdn Bhd and Faradale Holdings Sdn Bhd, the opportunity to bid farewell to Aloysius.
A member of AZAM since 1983, Aloysius is a founding Board Member of AZAM and SDI. He was CEO of both AZAM and SDI from 1 August, 2003 until 31 Dec last year.
The dinner on Friday also introduced Lelia Sim Ah Hua as the Acting CEO of both AZAM and SDI.
On hand to pay tribute to Aloysius and thank him for his long service with AZAM and SDI were State Secretary and AZAM and SDI Chairman, Tan Sri Datuk Amar Haji Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani, Sim as well as the staff of Greater AZAM.
Morshidi said Aloysius had done a lot as CEO of both AZAM and SDI.
“Personally, I find him a pleasant man, very unassuming, well read and never short of ideas,” added the State Secretary.
Sim, meanwhile, described Aloysius as “a gentleman, pleasant to work with and for, very thoughtful of others, diplomatic” as well as “a good mentor, friend and boss”.
“Your shoes will be very difficult to fill and I wish you good health,” she added.
At the dinner, a video montage prepared by the staff of Greater AZAM in honour of Aloysius entited “Memories are made of these” was also shown, allowing each and every staff to personally thank him.
In it, General Manager of AZAM and Acting Deputy CEO of AZAM and SDI, Rosalind Yang Misieng commended Aloysius as one of the few male bosses who did not hesitate to give women the opportunity to take up roles in what were generally regarded as men’s domains.
All those present also listened to a special address by Aloysius. He described his 13 years in AZAM and SDI as “among the most satisfying years” in his career.
“I lost count of the years. If you keep yourself busy, you forget you are getting old,” he confessed when recalling his long career in the government service and in AZAM and SDI. “45 years of serving Sarawak …it’s beyond my dream. It seems just like 10-15 years,” he added.
Besides being treated to a sumptuous dinner, all those present were entertained by a live band.
The highlight was the presentation of a souvenir by Morshidi to Aloysius.
At the end of the dinner, all AZAM and SDI Board Members as well as the staff of Greater AZAM grabbed the opportunity to have photographs taken with the former CEO.
Aloysius, a graduate of Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada, is a former Information Officer in the Federal Department of Information, Sarawak, former Permanent Secretary of Sarawak Ministry of Tourism and former CEO of the Ministry.
Even though he has retired as AZAM CEO, Aloysius, it is learnt, is still busy, performing his role as General Manager of Yayasan Perpaduan Sarawak (YPS); he has been holding the post since 21 October, 2014.
