KUCHING: The Sarawak government can rely on its civil service to propel the state’s economic growth.
The civil service will continue to support the state’s policy of developing high quality and environmentally sustainable public infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, and other sectors which are crucial for economic growth.
State Secretary Datuk Amar Jaul Samion said that the civil service had since 2015, implemented 12,770 people-centric Rural Transformation Progrrame (RTPs) to bridge the rural-urban development gap and 330 Projek Rakyat (people’s project) to improve the wellbeing of the people.
“The Sarawak civil service has helped the state government to achieve 99 per cent of treated water supply coverage in urban areas and 66.5 per cent coverage in rural areas, and also helped to provide electricity supply to 306,000 households in rural areas.
“As to date, 96 per cent of the rural population enjoys 24-hour of electricity,” he said, during the Sarawak Civil Service Day 2022 celebration at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK), on Tuesday (Jan 25).
As implementors, civil servants remain committed to ensuring delivery of public goods, including infrastructure and other socio-economic projects, he said.
On another note, Jaul said the state civil servants had played a significant role in the restoration of Sarawak’s rights based on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
“Civil servants have played a key role in securing Sarawak’s eroded rights, including the power to impose the State Sales Tax (SST), regaining recognition of Sarawak’s power under the Oil Mining Ordinance 1958 (OMO 1958), and obtaining the right to regulate gas distribution pursuant to the Distribution of Gas Ordinance (DGO), 2016.
“Their key role is also evident in our recent success when the Dewan Rakyat approved the amendment to the Constitution related to MA 63 which gives due recognition to the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) Report as part of the Federal Constitution.
“Working diligently behind the scenes, our civil servants’ role in their research, legal and negotiation skills has helped place Sarawak in an enviable position as an equal partner in the federation,” he said.
Jaul said the civil servants were grateful that state leaders and ministers, especially Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, had given them clear directions and firm support in performing their tasks.
Nevertheless, despite the achievements of the civil service, there was still much more to be done, including improving the government machinery at all levels.
