KUCHING: The Sarawak Government has launched a flagship artificial intelligence (AI) mastery programme today to equip civil servants with leadership, governance and practical AI skills to enhance public service delivery.
The two-day ‘Government AI Mastery for SCS Officers: 3R-Driven AI Leadership, Productivity & Governance’ programme aims to strengthen AI readiness, leadership judgement, workplace productivity, and responsible AI adoption across the Sarawak Civil Service (SCS).
Developed by the Sarawak Civil Service Digitalisation Unit (SCSDU) and organised by the Sarawak Centre of Performance Excellence (SCOPE), the inaugural programme involves 80 Chief Digital Officers (CDOs) and Assistant Chief Digital Officers (ACDOs) from ministries, departments and agencies.
Deputy State Secretary and Chief Digital Officer of the Sarawak Government, Datuk Hii Chang Kee, said AI should enhance, not replace, human judgement.
“AI is not a replacement for human judgement. It is a tool to help us think in a more structured way, work more efficiently and explore options more widely,” he said, adding that ethics, accountability, fairness and public interest must remain the responsibility of civil servants.
The programme marks the next phase of the SCS digital capability agenda, focusing on practical AI application, responsible governance, and policy-aligned adoption, including the use of Adam AI, the Sarawak Government’s on-premise AI platform.
It also introduces the ‘Revisit, Rethink and ReCharge’ (3R) framework, encouraging officers to reassess existing assumptions, rethink solutions to government challenges and improve public service delivery through structured AI use.
Meanwhile, SCSDU Director, Datuk Grace Huong Siew Hung, said the initiative supports the digital transformation agenda under the Sarawak 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP).
“AI adoption within the government must be driven by capability building, responsible governance and tangible service delivery outcomes rather than technology adoption alone,” she said in her speech.
Following the inaugural cohort, the programme will be expanded to other officer groups as part of efforts to build a wider AI-literate public service workforce.
It builds on the SCS’ digital literacy efforts, with 98 per cent of more than 19,220 officers and staff completing the ‘AI untuk Rakyat’ and ‘Defence Against Phishing’ online modules last year.
This year, digital capability development continues through the Digital Literacy Assessment on the SCS SmartGov platform.
