Ex-Bernama chairman Rahman Sulaiman awarded Tan Sri

KUALA LUMPUR: Veteran journalist and former Bernama chairman Datuk Abdul Rahman Sulaiman (pix), is among 53 personalities awarded the title "Tan Sri" in conjunction with the official birthday of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong tomorrow.
Abdul Rahman, who was conferred the Panglima Setia Mahkota (PSM), serves continuously in various media related organisations for the past 50 years, including six years as chairman of the national news agency until January this year.
A communication graduate of the Universiti Sains Malaysia and holder of Masters of Management (MM) degree from the Asian Institute of Management in Manila, he started his career as a cadet reporter with Radio Malaysia in September 1966 before moving to Bernama in September 1971 as a senior
journalist.
In Bernama, he rose in rapid succession as bureau chief, foreign correspondent, editor and finally the editor-in-chief in 1989.
He took an optional retirement in April 1995 to contest in the general election that year.
During the tail end of the Asian Financial Crisis in 2001, he served the National Economic Action Council (NEAC) as the head of the crisis communication department.
Abdul Rahman continued serving the council after it was renamed National Implementation Directorate under the Economic Planning Unit of the Prime Minister's Department that was tasked with the supervision and monitoring of projects and programmes under the 9th Malaysia Plan.
Following the dissolution of the Directorate, he was appointed Bernama chairman in Febuary 2010.
At the end of his tenure as Bernama chairman, Abdul Rahman was appointed Advisor and Head of the National Communication Team under the Prime Minister's Office where he serves until today.
As an ex-student leader during his university days, he is also active in politics and voluntary organisations, having been the head of Parit Buntar Umno division for two terms from 1995 to 2001.
He is still a member of the Umno divisional committee and concurrently the information chief of the Council of Former Elected Representatives (Mubarak).
With the exception of a three-year study leave to pursue his tertiary education from 1973 to 1976, altogether he has served the nation continuously for almost half a century. — Bernama