The death of our former auditor-general, Tan Sri Ahmad Noordin Zakaria last week is a great loss to the nation. He was a giant among men who walk tall when doing his work.

He represented a rare breed of top civil servants of his time who did their work without fear and favour and dared to cross swords with the top politicians who were not agreeable with the way they did their work.

In the mid-70s, his war of words with the former Johor menteri besar with regards to that state's messy finances made interesting news in the mainstream newspapers.

Then there was his role in preparing a report on the BMF scandal in Hong Kong which didn't go down well with the premier then and this showed Ahmad Nordin was a man of courage who didn't cow easily to political pressure. His subsequent report on the BMF scandal ruffled more than a few feathers among those holding the fort then.

Really, a person of his statue who is God-fearing with impeccable traits and integrity should be a good role model for other top mandarins in the civil service to emulate. Sad to say, he represented a true gentleman of the old school, a dying species if we look at all the scandals and corruptions both in the government and private sector.

Where are the few good men in society who can make a difference when you need them the most? It is a sad day indeed for our nation if the moral fabric of society rends as people take short cuts and resort to misdeeds to accumulate ill-gotten gains when they hold top posts in this country.