KUCHING: A lean organisational structure must be maintained despite the increasing scope of work and responsibilities within government departments.
Sarawak State Secretary, Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki, said the public service must operate in a slimmer structure to ensure the sector continues to function effectively.
“We receive many requests from departments to increase staffing on the grounds that their responsibilities are growing.
“I do not agree. We want to maintain a lean organisation so that it remains efficient. Do not become too obese, otherwise it will be difficult to run or move.
“It does not necessarily mean that we must increase manpower when responsibilities grow. That is not how we work,” he said.
He said this when speaking at the Gathering with the Honourable Sarawak State Secretary at the Sarawak Islamic Complex today.
Abu Bakar stressed that the government’s direction for the public service is to ensure organisations remain lean.
“As I mentioned earlier, any enhancement or restructuring within an organisation must ensure that we remain lean. This is our direction in the public service,” he said.
In this regard, he urged civil servants to adopt the 3R concept – revisit, rethink and recharge – as a framework for work transformation.
The 3R concept emphasises reassessing work processes and practices that are no longer efficient, revamping outdated methods to be more agile and relevant, and strengthening organisational and workforce capacity.
“Our approach in meeting public expectations today has changed and is very different from the past. Therefore, the 3R approach must be considered to align with changing times,” he explained.
He added that within the public service context, the state leadership has a far-sighted vision and mission and civil servants must move in tandem with political leadership.
“Therefore, we must move at the same pace as our leaders to ensure Sarawak’s aspirations for continued progress can be realised,” he said.
