KUCHING: Civil servants in Sarawak should not hesitate to give advice to the state’s ministers, especially on policy matters, said Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg (pix).
He said civil servants were the ones working on the ground and their views were crucial to drafting new policies or making new government decisions.
“The civil service is the smart people, you (civil servants) are the engine (of the government). You are also on the ground and you can advise us, the ministers, what to do.
“You give us the feedback (advice), we’ll analyse and it will become a joint solution, this is the way forward,” he said in his speech during a town hall session attended by over 700 civil servants statewide here today.
Meanwhile, Abang Johari said close working relations between the state’s leaders and the civil service was crucial to making sure that the government’s agenda or plan would succeed.
He said this was evident when the state government’s digital economy agenda was successfully implemented.
“This can also be seen during the Covid-19 pandemic, all activities were done online and even payments for online purchases only used our (e-wallet application) Sarawak Pay,” he said. – Bernama
