Sarawak to digitalise all 1,106 state govt services by 2030, says Premier
Abang Johari in his winding-up speech during the DUN sitting today. – Photo by Roystein Emmor
KUCHING (May 28): The Sarawak government is targeting to have all 1,106 of its services fully accessible online by the year 2030 as part of efforts to enhance service delivery to the people, said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
In his winding-up speech at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly sitting today, Abang Johari said digitalisation is crucial in the state's transition into a high-income and developed region.
'As we work towards becoming a high-income and developed region, digitalisation helps us deliver services quicker, cut bureaucratic red tape, make data-driven decisions and ease business activities.
'Thus, I have set an ambitious target for the Sarawak Civil Service – by the year 2030, all 1,106 government services must be fully accessible online. This will lead to greater efficiency and higher productivity for service delivery,' he said.
Abang Johari also congratulated the Sarawak Civil Service for achieving the digitalisation of 55 per cent of government services in 2024, ahead of the 2025 target set under the Post-Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030.
'This milestone is a testament to the dedication of our civil service and the growing momentum behind our digital transformation,' he said.
He added that the move will bring real benefits to the people by making government services more accessible, faster, and more transparent.
'These initiatives are only the beginning. We will continue to enhance our services with urgency, responsibility and discipline, enhancing our services to benefit the rakyat and the business community,' he said.
Abang Johari said the transformation of service delivery is supported by a civil service that is agile, competent, and future-ready.
'It is through the professionalism and discipline of our officers that our policies are translated into various projects and programmes, effectively delivering meaningful outcomes for the rakyat,' he said.
He said the state government remains committed to upskilling civil servants and providing opportunities for global exposure and professional development.
Among these efforts include sending senior officers to institutions such as Harvard University, Cambridge University, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), Oxford University, and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
'This year, 19 accountants in the Sarawak Civil Service will begin their studies under the Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants (MICPA), sponsored by the GPS Government,' he added.
The Premier also led a recent delegation to LSE where discussions focused on long-term collaboration in executive education, joint research, and policy leadership training in climate, energy, and public policy.
'We are now working with LSE to integrate environmental economics, sustainable finance, and ESG principles into our civil service development,' he said.
He further emphasised the importance of governance and integrity, noting that Sarawak currently has the highest number of certified Integrity Officers among Malaysian states.
'Ultimately, we want to build a strong society in Sarawak where trust, honesty, and accountability guide every action and decision,' he said.
Abang Johari concluded by calling on all civil servants to carry out their duties with integrity and professionalism.
'The journey ahead is challenging, but with the spirit of unity and professionalism, we will succeed together,' he said. abang johari digital DUN government services
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Singapore's Lawrence Wong heads to China for first official visit as PM
This will be Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's first trip to China since taking office in May 2024. - Photo: ST file BEIJING: Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will make a five-day official visit to China from Sunday (June 22), where he will seek to chart the strategic direction of bilateral ties with Chinese leaders. This will be his first trip to China since taking office in May 2024. In Beijing, he is scheduled to meet the country's top three leaders — President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and National People's Congress chairman Zhao Leji. The trip will allow both sides to reaffirm their commitment to strengthening ties and is 'an opportunity for leaders to discuss bilateral issues as well as regional and global developments', the Prime Minister's Office said on June 22. The visit comes as Singapore and China mark the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations. In 2023, they upgraded ties to an 'All Round High Quality Future Oriented Partnership'. PM Wong will also travel to Tianjin – a port city about 1.5 hours south-east of Beijing by car – to attend an event commonly known as 'Summer Davos'. He will take part in a dialogue with World Economic Forum (WEF) president Børge Brende. The official name for 'Summer Davos' is the WEF Annual Meeting of the New Champions. Although this is PM Wong's introductory visit to China in his new capacity as head of Singapore's fourth-generation leadership, he is returning to familiar ground. Since entering politics in 2011, he has visited China almost every year except during the Covid-19 pandemic. His previous China-related roles included co-chairing the Singapore-Sichuan Trade and Investment Committee and overseeing the Tianjin Eco-City when he was Minister for National Development. He last visited China in December 2023, when as Deputy Prime Minister he co-chaired the Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation with Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang. Following his appointment as Prime Minister in 2024, DPM Gan Kim Yong took over that role. Singapore has prioritised keeping ties with China warm through regular high-level engagements. Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong visited China in November 2024 and met President Xi. Economic links between the two countries remain strong and mutually beneficial. China has been Singapore's largest goods trading partner for over a decade, accounting for about 13 per cent of the Republic's global goods trade in 2024. Singapore is China's largest foreign investor. For this trip to China, PM Wong will be joined by a new member of his Cabinet – Acting Minister for Transport and Senior Minister of State for Finance Jeffrey Siow – who entered politics in the May 2025 General Election. Another new face is Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi, a former Nominated Member of Parliament who contested the 2025 GE as a People's Action Party candidate. He was appointed in May as Senior Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of National Development, and will be sworn in later in 2025. Other members of PM Wong's delegation include Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations Grace Fu, and Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs Sim Ann. After the official visit, PM Wong will be on leave on June 27, his office said. While he is away, DPM Gan, who is also Minister for Trade and Industry, will serve as Acting Prime Minister from June 22 to 25. Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam will take over from June 26 to 27. - The Straits Times/ANN
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Cheerleaders to critics: German machinery makers call for EU action on China
Germany's iconic machine makers used to be among the loudest cheerleaders for ever-closer economic ties between China and Europe. Now, as exports dwindle and facing 'increasingly strong [Chinese] competitors' beefed up by 'unfair state subsidies', the industry is demanding that Brussels put in place trade barriers to protect it. A new position paper published on Thursday by the Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA), representing medium-sized manufacturers that help constitute Germany's famed Mittelstand group of businesses, marks a dramatic reversal for an industry that until recently lauded the Sino-German economic miracle. 'The EU should impose countervailing duties on imports from third countries if they violate EU anti-dumping or anti-subsidy rules. China is a particular focus here with its aggressive export policy,' read the VDMA's paper. The industry group – whose 3,600 members make everything from power transmission systems and machine tools to semiconductor machines and precision tools – made clear that it was ready to compete with Chinese rivals on a level playing field. However, it was also unequivocal that it feels those conditions do not exist and that it wants governments to intervene. 'Chinese companies are heavily subsidised by the government. And they supply products to Europe that sometimes disregard our technical regulations. China is not playing fair, and politicians must respond to this,' said Bertram Kawlath, VDMA's president. The paper marks a break from decades in which German industry grew rich from selling machines made for powering the workshop of the world. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the VDMA has turned sharp critic of a harsh new reality in Germany's economic ties with China. It has spoken of being out-competed by fierce rivals in China, Europe and third markets. It will provide an early challenge for new Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has taken a tougher rhetorical line on China than predecessor Olaf Scholz, but who will also have to deal with the country's powerful automotive lobby, whose views are unrecognisable from those of the VDMA. While Scholz backed the EU's de-risking strategy, research has shown that this support did little to unpick Germany's dependencies on China for critical goods. 'Compared to the previous year, there has been little change in Germany's potentially critical import dependency on China,' wrote Juergen Matthes of the German Economic Institute in an assessment published last week. The VDMA's statistics showed a substantial loss of market share in China for its companies. German machinery went from holding a 20.4 per cent share in China's import market in 2015 to 15.1 per cent in 2024. The shipments were down 12.2 per cent over the first quarter of 2025 year-on-year, German government stats showed, exacerbating a trend of declines in five of the last six years. 'Supported by the 'Made in China 2025' strategy, Chinese mechanical engineering companies have become increasingly strong competitors on the global market. Unfair state subsidies for Chinese companies play a major role in international business,' the paper said. The figures chime with broader German and EU trends: over the first five months of 2025, EU exports to China fell 7.3 per cent compared with a year earlier, while Germany's shipments fell 5.9 per cent. At the same time, China's shipments to Germany and Europe are booming. In May alone, exports to Germany – the EU's largest economy – soared 21.5 per cent, following 20.3 per cent growth in April. To France, shipments were up 24.1 per cent in May, stoking fears that Europe will become a 'dumping ground' for Chinese products that are effectively blocked from the United States due to sky-high tariffs. Soapbox, a newsletter focused on Chinese trade, forecast that for 2025 as a whole, Switzerland will import more from the EU than China, the world's second largest economy. The VDMA's intervention comes amid a clamorous debate over the direction of the EU's China policy and ahead of a crunch summit in July, where leaders will meet in Beijing to discuss thorny issues from trade gripes to China's ties with Russia. With the return of US President Donald Trump to the White House and his swift abandonment of the transatlantic alliance, many expected Europe and China to patch up their many differences. A growing body of evidence is emerging, however, to suggest that this will be more difficult than anticipated. While China's commerce ministry has talked up the prospect of a blockbuster deal on electric vehicles – which would see EU tariffs imposed last year replaced with a minimum import price – EU officials and diplomats said that was highly unlikely in the short term. Briefing ambassadors from the bloc's 27 member states on Wednesday, meanwhile, the European Commission gave no hint that a deal was close, diplomatic sources said. - South China Morning Post
The Star
9 hours ago
- The Star
Giving refugees the right to work a win-win for Malaysia, says MEF
PETALING JAYA: Allowing refugees and asylum seekers to work under a regulated framework could help address labour shortages and boost Malaysia's economy, says the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF). Its president, Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman, said over 185,000 refugees and asylum seekers currently reside in the country, most of whom are of working age and physically capable of contributing to the economy. 'Despite having the skills, willingness and potential to contribute, they face legal and practical barriers to formal employment,' he said in a statement on Sunday (June 22). "MEF believes that, if managed strategically and humanely, the integration of refugees and asylum seekers into the formal labour market will positively help address several pressing national challenges, particularly in sectors facing acute labour shortages such as agriculture, construction, manufacturing and care services." Syed Hussain proposed allowing those registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to be granted formal work access in Malaysia. 'This will not only provide them with the opportunity to recover from the trauma of war, conflict and persecution, but also allow them to contribute to Malaysia's economic growth, with clear benefits to businesses and consumers,' he added. He said MEF believes formalising refugee employment could support GDP growth through increased labour output, consumption, taxation and entrepreneurship. It could also reduce exploitation and illegal hiring by promoting compliance with labour laws, while saving employers time and recruitment costs by tapping into an existing workforce, said Syed Hussain. He cited a joint study by the International Labour Organization and UNHCR, which found that enabling refugees to work could raise a country's GDP by up to 0.5% over time. 'If even 30 to 40% of the refugee and asylum seeker population is granted access to the formal job market, this could add 55,000 to 75,000 employees to Malaysia's labour force, boosting productivity and supporting national economic growth,' he said. Syed Hussain stressed that this would not displace local workers, especially in 3D jobs (dirty, dangerous, and difficult) typically shunned by Malaysians. 'It would reduce dependency on foreign workers and cut enforcement costs associated with illegal labour,' he said. Syed Hussain said this move would also strengthen Malaysia's international standing on human rights and align with global standards such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and ESG expectations. 'MEF is calling on the government to collaborate with employers, trade unions, NGOs and international bodies to develop a clear, transparent policy framework that defines legal work status, outlines obligations and rights, integrates skills recognition and includes proper vetting and monitoring mechanisms. 'MEF believes the inclusion of refugees and asylum seekers into Malaysia's formal workforce is a win-win strategy - one that strengthens economic resilience, meets business needs and upholds Malaysia's humanitarian commitments,' he said.
