SS: Sarawak to assess projects by their impact on public

KUCHING: Sarawak will introduce new guidelines to assess whether government-funded programmes and projects deliver tangible benefits to the people.

State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki said the ‘Garis Panduan Outcome’ programme would serve as a control mechanism and benchmark for evaluating the effectiveness of programmes and projects financed by the Sarawak government.

He said the move was part of the Sarawak Civil Service’s shift towards a fully people-centred service delivery system, requiring programmes and projects to produce tangible outcomes that could be directly felt by all sections of society.

“We can no longer measure success based solely on outputs or the amount of expenditure. Instead, we must ensure that the programmes and projects we plan and implement genuinely bring positive changes and benefits that can be felt by the people,” he said.

He said this during the Civil Service Day and Sarawak Civil Service Innovation Convention Awards (SCSICA) 2026 celebration at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here today.

He called on all heads of departments to give their full commitment to ensuring that every programme and project was evaluated critically and transparently.

“This is to ensure that every cent of government investment translates into a meaningful impact for the people of Sarawak,” he said.

Turning to innovation in the civil service, he said technological advancements could help officers work more efficiently, but sound judgement, integrity and an understanding of people’s needs must remain central to public service.

He said he had been informed that 51 teams had participated in SCSICA 2026 and congratulated all participants, particularly those due to receive awards at the event.

During the ceremony, the ALL STARS team from the Sarawak Public Works Department was named the recipient of the Sarawak Premier Innovation Award 2026, taking home a trophy and RM15,000 in cash.

The team also won the SCS Main Agencies category under the SCSICA 2026 Innovation Awards.

Other category winners were TAPOW from the Mukah Divisional Resident Office for the Resident and District Offices category, EAGLE from the Sibu Municipal Council for the Local Authorities category, and OK (Orang Kastam) from the Royal Malaysian Customs Department for the Federal Agencies category.

Each of the four category winners received a trophy and RM5,000 in cash.

The SCSICA 2026 convention, organised by the Sarawak Transformation and Innovation Unit (STIU), was held in Kuching from Oct 19 to 22.

Mohamad Abu Bakar said receiving an innovation award was worth celebrating, but its success should be measured by how well it improved public services.

“Receiving an innovation award is worth celebrating. However, the success of innovation is measured not by recognition, but by how well our ideas improve public services and the lives of Sarawakians,” he said.