Integrity officers to gain international expertise in graft prevention

KUCHING: Seventy integrity officers are set to gain international expertise in corruption prevention, ethical leadership and good governance through a specialised training programme next month.

Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Integrity and Ombudsman) Datuk Murshid Diraja Dr Juanda Jaya said the Sarawak Regional Governance Leadership Programme 2026 would be held here from Nov 2 to 5.

The four-day programme is being organised by the Sarawak Integrity and Ombudsman Unit (UNIONS), Sarawak Centre of Performance Excellence Sdn Bhd (SCOPE) and the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA).

Adapted from IACA’s Regional Summer Academy (RSA), which is usually held in Vienna, Austria, the programme will bring international expertise to Sarawak through focused classroom learning, case studies and practical approaches to corruption prevention.

Juanda speaks at the media conference.

Juanda said that the 70 Certified Integrity Officers (CeIOs) were selected from more than 200 officers in Sarawak and will receive IACA certification upon completing the programme.

He said the training aimed to develop professional, knowledgeable and confident CeIOs who could identify weaknesses, address non-compliance and courageously raise concerns while upholding accountability based on facts, regulations and established procedures.

“The development of a state depends not only on economic strength and infrastructure progress, but also on institutional integrity, ethical leadership and good governance. As Sarawak progresses rapidly, integrity must advance alongside the state’s development,@ he said during the media conference on the programme here Tuesday (Oct 27).

“For this reason, the programme focuses on four main themes: international cooperation and integrity; leveraging innovation in corruption prevention; good governance and ethical leadership; and corruption reporting and accountability.

“Participants will gain exposure to international experts, learn through case studies and practical approaches, and explore the use of Big Data and artificial intelligence (AI) to help identify corruption risks and strengthen preventive measures.”

He added that the programme would be the first collaboration of its kind in Borneo involving UNIONS, SCOPE and IACA, providing opportunities for international knowledge exchange and professional development.

Additionally, he added that another important development is the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between UNIONS and IACA.

“The MoU will provide a foundation for exploring future cooperation, particularly in capacity building, knowledge exchange and professional development in integrity and corruption prevention.

“It will also provide opportunities for Sarawak civil servants, particularly Sarawak CeIOs, to participate in the Regional Summer Academy (RSA) at IACA or in other countries,” he added.

He expressed hope that the programme would bring lasting improvements to the state’s work culture and governance, with integrity officers playing a key role in promoting ethical practices.

Meanwhile, Juanda also said the Sarawak Premier is expected to be invited to officiate at the programme, while representatives from Vienna will visit Kuching to pay courtesy calls on the Premier.

“God willing, we hope this programme will have a significant impact on the Sarawak government and its agencies,” he said.