IPOH, Dec 18 ― Datuk Ahmad Suaidi Abdul Rahim is the new Perak state secretary effective today, the corporate division of the Perak State Secretariat Office announced in a statement.

Before this, he was Ipoh mayor for five months beginning July 1.

Ahmad succeeds Datuk Zainal Azman Abu Seman who was transferred to the Public Service Department in Kuala Lumpur on December 3.

According to the Perak State Secretariat Office statement, Ahmad is 49 years old.

He was born on March 11, 1970 in Pantai Remis, Perak and started his career in the civil service as an administrative and diplomatic officer on January 15, 1996 and served as deputy secretary of state (development) in Selangor.

He was also director of the Selangor State Land and Mines Office and was once the district officer in Hulu Selangor and Gombak prior to moving back to Perak.

Ahmad holds a Masters degree in global information and telecommunication studies from Waseda University in Japan and graduated with a degree in biotechnology from Universiti Putra Malaysia.

The statement also said that Ahmad paid a courtesy visit to Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.