KUCHING: The Sarawak government and its state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are called to fully harness the advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) to drive transformative changes in their business operations.
State Financial Secretary Datuk Seri Dr Wan Lizozman Wan Omar said the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 provides a strategic framework by developing secure digital infrastructure and driving public sector transformation.
This, he said, is to ensure that all 1,106 targeted government services are fully digitalised by 2030.
“AI is no longer a concept of the future; it is already redefining how decisions are made, how data is analysed, and how organisations optimise their resources.
“Through AI, we can forecast revenue trends, identify tax compliance patterns and automate routine tasks, thereby freeing human capital for strategic innovation,” he said.
He said this in his speech at the opening ceremony of the ‘Tax and Digital AI Symposium’ at a hotel here on Wednesday.
Wan Lizozman added that while the global digital economy is projected to reach trillions of dollars in value, this new frontier presents two realities for the government and SOEs — great opportunities and challenges.
He explained that among the major opportunities is that Sarawak’s SOEs in the energy, infrastructure, and services sectors can leverage AI for predictive asset maintenance, optimising supply chains and personalising services for the people. This will allow them to evolve from being mere service providers to smart service platforms.
“In addition, data-driven policies enable us to move beyond traditional models towards evidence-based decision-making in all aspects — from infrastructure investment to the delivery of social programmes — ensuring every ringgit spent delivers maximum impact,” he said.
However, he noted that the biggest challenge in adopting such technology is the skills gap between the public and private sector workforce, which requires training to work effectively alongside AI.
He added that ethical implementation of AI must also be prioritised, particularly in managing sensitive issues such as data privacy, algorithmic bias and ensuring that digital transformation is inclusive and leaves no Sarawakians behind.
