KUCHING: The Sarawak Civil Service Environmental Standard (SACSES) is a new workplace standard that emphasises culture, sustainability and continuous improvement rather than only compliance.
Deputy State Secretary (Operations), Datuk Felicia Tan Ya Hua, said SACSES forms part of the state’s broader civil service transformation agenda aimed at strengthening high-quality workplace standards.
It seeks to create sustainable and systematic work environments, encourage ownership among employees, support dynamic organisational transformation, and establish uniform standards across government agencies.
“These are non-negotiable standards if we are to move forward as a world-class public service,” she said when launching the SACSES programme and ‘Gotong-Royong Perdana’ programme, themed ‘Memupuk Kelestarian Menginspirasi Transformasi, Membina Perkhidmatan Awam Lestari’ at the Department of Agriculture, here on Saturday.
She noted that SACSES, introduced by the Sarawak Premier’s Department through the Sarawak Transformation and Innovation Unit (STIU), replaces the Public Sector Conducive Ecosystem (EKSA) and represents a paradigm shift in workplace environmental management.
“We no longer want offices that look good only during audits. We want quality, consistent and sustainable workplace environments, even in the absence of audits,” she said.
According to Tan, SACSES moves away from a compliance-based approach towards a culture-based model that prioritises governance, workplace practices, organisational culture, sustainability, and continuous improvement.
She added that the positive response from agencies undergoing certification audits demonstrates the growing commitment of Sarawak civil servants towards embracing transformation.
“This reflects that Sarawak civil servants are not waiting for instructions but are proactively moving ahead and taking the lead,” she said.
Tan also congratulated the Department of Agriculture for becoming among the earliest agencies to receive SACSES certification, effective May 6 this year, with a score of 86.99 per cent.
“Achieving a score of 86.99 per cent is a commendable accomplishment. However, we cannot stop here. Several corrective actions have been identified, and I am confident that with strong commitment and discipline, the department can further improve its performance and achieve even greater excellence,” she said.
She stressed that transformation must also be supported by a change in mindset, urging public servants to move from working merely to fulfil requirements towards embracing values-driven excellence.
“Take SACSES as a challenge, not a burden. And make gotong-royong a practice, not a seasonal event,” she said.
Tan added that if agencies remain committed to the transformation journey, SACSES could become a benchmark for cultivating a sustainable, high-performing and competitive work culture throughout the Sarawak Civil Service.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Department director, Dominic Anak Chunggat said, the department’s SACSES certification is particularly significant given the scale of its operations across the state.
He said, with a workforce of 1,879 personnel and a network of 155 facilities comprising its headquarters, divisional and district agriculture offices, agricultural institutes, training centres, as well as research and sub-stations, maintaining consistent workplace standards requires a collective commitment from all levels of the organisation.
“The department’s successful certification reflects the commitment, cooperation and dedication of its workforce in creating a quality work environment that meets the standards set under SACSES.
“The implementation of SACSES is a strategic step towards strengthening a more systematic, sustainable and high-impact work culture. As the new standard introduced by the Sarawak Government to replace EKSA, SACSES places greater emphasis on the continuous cultivation of best practices rather than focusing solely on compliance during audits.
“This is in line with the aspiration of the Sarawak Civil Service to become an efficient, progressive and high-performing organisation,” he said.
He noted that initiatives such as the Premier Gotong-Royong Programme complement the SACSES agenda by fostering teamwork, shared responsibility and a strong sense of ownership among employees.
“The success of an organisation is not measured solely by its performance achievements and work outputs, but also by its positive work culture, conducive environment and strong spirit of teamwork,” he said.
Also present at the event was Ministry of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development’s Permanent Secretary, Datuk Sirai Daha.
