KUCHING (Dec 16): The Sarawak civil service has been benchmarked by other state governments, national agencies and even by a foreign country for its award-winning innovation products from its innovation and creative circles (ICC) teams, said State Secretary Datuk Amar Jaul Samion.
He said among state governments and agencies using Sarawak civil service as reference were state governments of Perak, Terengganu and Kedah, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Agriculture, Registrar of Societies (ROS) Sabah, Ministry of Works and a few others.
“(The government of) Papua New Guinea also came and see us to benchmark with our innovation. Those are some of the success stories that we have and I think that this culture of innovation has now been fully embedded in the minds and the hearts of civil service in Sarawak.
“And I am glad to report that we are going forward and this will be continued and also will be further enhanced in the future,” he said at the Sarawak Civil Service Innovation Convention Awards (SCSICA) 2020 today.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg officiated at the SCSICA 2020, which was the climax of the Sarawak Civil Service Innovation Week whereby ICC teams with the best innovations receive awards in five different categories.
According to Jaul, a total 649 ICC innovation projects/ products have been produced so far since the ICC system was implemented in 2010, and many had won awards at the national levels including the National Chief Secretary Award, Malaysian Productivity Council (MPC) Chairman Award and the Civil Service Director General Award.
“At the international level namely the International Convention on Quality Control Circle (ICQCC), we have so far won 14 Gold Awards and one Silver since 2011 to 2019.
“These included four Gold Awards won at last year’s ICQCC in Tokyo Japan, which were obtained by ICC teams such as JAGU from the Sri Aman District Council, DO IT3 from the State Treasury Department, The Hummer from Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) and Forcescap (Miri City Council),” he said.
He also said among the innovation products which impacted the people include the ‘Application Resettlement and Extension Schemes’ (ARES) by the Lands Tahai Q from Lands and Survey Department Limbang office and now replicated in all the department’s offices statewide.
Others included the ‘C-Flex H2o Intake’ project by Q-Inno from Public Works Department (JKR) Bintulu office now benefiting 26,300 people and the Pile Graph Taker by Nanas Madu from JKR Sarikei which aims to reduce accidents at workplaces.
“The Mars Mirror product by the Imisar group from Immigration Department Sarawak has won MPC Team Excellence Gold Award at the national level and champions at the Sarawak level ICC Convention in 2017. This project, which solves the problems of taking live capture photo during passport application by children is now replicated in Sarawak, Johor, Selangor, Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur,” he said.
On this year’s SCSICA, he said there were three new awards introduced namely SCSICA Special Award, Social Innovation Award and the Ureke MACRI Award, in addition to the Digital Innovation Award and the more prestigious Sarawak Chief Minister’s Innovation Award.
He also said this year’s Sarawak Civil Service Innovation Week was held in September, and also marked the eight consecutive year it was held in collaboration with the Sarawak Federal Secretary Office.
“Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, 14 agencies from the state and federal services took part in the Innovation Week. Since it always receives overwhelming response, I suggest it to be upgraded to Innovation Month in the future,” he added.
The Sarawak Chief Minister’s Innovation Award was won by Land Tahai Group from the Lands and Survey Department for the state agencies category and Dua Taruh 2 Semong from the Royal Customs Department Sarawak for the federal agencies category
The other winners were Crane from the Prisons Department Sarawak for the Ureka MACRI Award, BTS 2.0 from Bintulu Division Administration Office (Digital Innovation Award), Q-Inno from JKR Bintulu (Social Innovation Award) and Lands and Survey Department (SCSICA Award).
The post S’wak civil service benchmarked by other state govts, national agencies appeared first on Borneo Post Online.