KUCHING: Staff of the Ministry for International Trade, Industry and Investment (MINTRED) have been urged to continue upholding a culture of excellence, integrity and professionalism in support of Sarawak’s economic development agenda.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said excellence should not be viewed merely as recognition of performance, but as a sustained commitment to continuous improvement, efficient service delivery and integrity-based governance.
He said the awards presented reflected the ministry’s appreciation for the outstanding performance and professionalism demonstrated by its officers and staff throughout 2025.
“I extend my highest congratulations to the award recipients and also record my appreciation to all employees, including those working behind the scenes, who form the foundation of the ministry’s success,” he said, as reported by Sarawak Public Communication Unit (UKAS).
Awang Tengah was speaking at the 2025 MINTRED Excellent Service Awards (APC) ceremony themed ‘Honouring Excellence, Celebrating Legacy, Embracing the Future’, held here on Monday (Jan 12).
At the event, Awang Tengah also expressed appreciation to former MINTRED permanent secretary Dzulkornain Masron for his leadership and dedicated service during his tenure, while welcoming the appointment of Datuk Lester Matthew as the new Permanent Secretary.
Touching on Sarawak’s economic performance, Awang Tengah, who is also MINTRED Minister, said the state continued to demonstrate strong economic resilience driven by prudent policies and a clear long-term development vision.
From 2021 to the third quarter of 2025, he said Sarawak attracted investments totalling RM105.9 billion, reflecting strong investor confidence in the state as a preferred investment destination.
Also present were Deputy MINTRED Minister Datuk Dr Malcom Mussen Lamoh, MINTRED SME Advisor Dato Sri Mohd Naroden Majais, Invest Sarawak chief executive officer Timothy Ong, Sarawak Trade and Tourism Office in Brunei Darussalam (STATOB) CEO Samat Junai, and Sarawak Trade and Tourism Office in Singapore (STATOS) CEO Kenny Lau.
