KOTA KINABALU, Jan 25 — Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Hajiji Noor wants a report on the implementation and achievement status of the Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) to be tabled annually by each state ministry beginning March 29 this year.
Hala Tuju SMJ was launched on March 29 last year, six months after Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) took over the state government, as an immediate step to formulate Sabah’s economic recovery strategies and chart Sabah’s development for the next five years.
“I have directed the State Secretary that on March 29, not only each ministry must table their respective report but we also have to organise an Open Day to allow the people to listen, see and feel the meaning and value of the Hala Tuju SMJ.
“I hope all government agencies are ready to furnish the report on the status of implementation and achievements of the initiatives under their respective purview,” he said during the state civil service assembly here today.
Hajiji also wants federal agencies in Sabah to present their planning and status of programmes as well as projects being implemented for the people to see and understand, and hopes the State Federal Secretary’s office can coordinate the participation of federal agencies during the Open Day.
“This is imperative because I hold steadfast to the principle that the success of the government development agenda is not just when the value and meaning of the development are heard but it must also be seen and felt by the rakyat.
“The fact is the public service is part of the successes, which means political will must be followed up by implementation that requires support from the public service personnel,” he said, adding that the key to the successful implementation of a development agenda is the commitment to work as a team.
The chief minister is confident that under the Keluarga Malaysia spirit, the 20,363 state and 103,030 federal civil service personnel are capable of ensuring a successful implementation of the Hala Tuju SMJ.
Hajiji also urged the state public sector to continuously empower and galvanise itself through civil service transformation initiatives to ensure the success of the Sabah government’s development agenda as well as to have the best team that keeps abreast with the current needs.
The chief minister said he is fully committed to supporting any initiative aimed at transforming and strengthening the state or federal civil services.
“Among the priorities are bolstering integrity and professionalism among civil servants, enhancing the government delivery system, encouraging a productive work culture, innovation and creativity as well as creating a strategic communication mechanism so that all government policies can be heard, seen and felt by the rakyat,” he said.
Hajiji said among the transformation approaches being taken were the development of three data hubs, namely the People Hub, Business Hub and Geo Hub under the Data Integration and Interchange Platform (DIIP).
The DIIP is a data-sharing platform that facilitates Government-to-Government, Government-to-Business and Government-to-Citizen data sharing, which had paved the way for the creation of the Sabah Digital Marketplace to spur the growth of people-orientated businesses.
“I welcome the state public service’s commitment to put in place the Good Regulatory Practice (GRP) beginning 2021,” he said, adding that he was also proud that Sabah had received the Regulatory Champion Award as the Most Active State in GRP Implementation from the Malaysia Productivity Corporation during the 2021 GRP National Conference.
He also fully supported the State Public Service Department’s initiative to introduce the High Performing Organisational Happiness Index, under a study being conducted in collaboration with researchers from Universiti Malaysia Sabah.
“Results from the study are crucial in formulating suitable strategies to transform the public service,” he said. — Bernama
