SINGAPORE: The Sarawak Government is currently undertaking a restructuring of its civil service through a ‘lean civil service’ approach, which emphasises efficiency and effectiveness without overburdening the existing administrative system.
Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Tun Datuk Abang Openg said the approach focuses on creating a smaller but high-performing civil service, with its core emphasis on policy delivery and governance.
“The management of state assets and strategic investments has now been entrusted to Government-Linked Companies (GLCs) that operate in a corporate and professional manner, thereby generating returns for the Sarawak Government in the form of dividends,” he said when officiating the Sarawak Civil Service One Team Retreat (SCS OTR) 2025 Programme here on Wednesday.
In the same address, Datuk Patinggi Abang Zohari stated that the role of civil servants today extends beyond merely implementing policies.
They now serve as the government’s strategic partners in realising a holistic and sustainable development agenda.
To that end, he stressed that civil servants must understand Sarawak’s economic strategies, including areas such as the green economy, carbon trading, and investments in strategic industries like energy and gas.
“Sarawak is investing in training and international exposure programmes through collaborations with prestigious institutions such as Harvard, Oxford, and the World Bank.
“We also provide special executive programmes for senior civil service officers to ensure they remain up to date with current issues and global trends.
“We want civil servants who understand how future technologies work. Everything today is driven by technology, from chip design to smart device systems. All these require power supply, water, and, most importantly, brain power,” he further explained.
In addition, Datuk Patinggi Abang Zohari expressed his aspiration to see Sarawak become a developed, high-income region comparable to the Nordic countries of Asia by 2030, and ultimately emerge as the “economic star of Asia.”
He also spoke about his vision for the future, which includes mastery of advanced technology and chip design, as well as participation in high-impact industries by 2050.
“If Elon Musk can build spacecraft to reach Mars, then we too can become a star in Asia, with the support of high-quality civil servants who are forward-thinking and bold enough to bring fresh ideas,” he added.
The closing ceremony of the SCS OTR 2025 Programme was also attended by Sarawak Deputy Premiers Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, and Datuk Amar Professor Dr. Sim Kui Hian, Minister of Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, Minister of Food Industry, Commodities and Regional Development Dato Sri Dr. Stephen Rundi Utom, Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Minister of Transport Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin, Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn, Minister in the Premier’s Department Dato Sri John Sikie Tayai; Sarawak Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki, as well as heads of departments. -UKASnews
