Friday September 14, 2012

Think out of the box, civil servants told

Keeping the stingers at bay: A Fire Department senior officer Ahmad Shah Saad showing a protective helmet called a Bhelt, which is designed to protect firefighters from wasps and other stingers. Called the Cairns helmet until 2003, it was later altered and improved into the current design. The helmet is made from a combination of mosquito nets and fibre glue. — ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE / The Star

KUCHING: Civil servants have to think out of the box and be critical and constructive in discharging their duties.

Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said this was necessary as creativity and innovation were essential in moving the country towards a developed and high income status by 2020.

“The Government has undertaken various programmes such as the Government Transformation Programme to increase our delivery service to the people.

“That is why we need the civil service to be innovative and creative in doing their tasks,” he said at the state-level civil service innovation and creativity group dinner here last night.

His text of speech was read by his deputy Tan Sri Alfred Jabu.

Taib said the civil service had to attract the IT savvy younger generation for it to have positive impact on its delivery to the people.

“The Government has prepared the foundation for the younger generation through the setting up of universities in the state,” he said.

He added that the various initiatives taken by the civil service to innovate itself had resulted in improved delivery service.

Earlier, State Secretary Tan Sri Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani said the state civil service had embarked on a major initiative called SCS 10-20 to spearhead and spur the implementation of the SCS transformation programme in tandem with the Government Transformation Programme (GTP).

He said the 10-year transformation journey was planned to catapult the SCS service delivery to a world standard with the objective of energising it to be more responsive, receptive and reactive towards the needs and aspirations of the rakyat.

“Seven critical areas under SCS 10-20 have been identified for its implementation and they are managing culture change, innovation and creativity, project and programme delivery excellence, human resource management, financial management transformation, e-government and managing customer needs,” he said.

The state civil service, he said, had taken various initiatives to transform itself through customer service management, key focus activity, performance driven and innovation and creativity.

“With these efforts, I believe we can cultivate and increase an effective interaction in creating a creative and innovative thinking while promoting positive work culture,” he said.

Meanwhile, the skkit from State Treasury Department emerged champion in the state-level civil service creativity and innovation under the management category.

The group walked away with RM5,000, a trophy and certificate. The first and second runners-up went to GS11 from the Customs and Excise Department and Innovatif G2 from Bintulu Land and Survey Department. They walked away with RM3,500 and RM2,500, respectively plus a trophy and certificate each.

In the technical category, Swan from Sibu Education Department emerged champion to walk away with RM5,000, a trophy and certificate.

Ginno from Bintulu Public Works Department took the second spot to win RM3,500, a trophy and certificate.

Axis Paradox from Betong Land and Survey Department took the third placing and walked away with RM2,500, a trophy and certificate.

News

Friday September 14, 2012

Think out of the box, civil servants told