KUCHING: The construction of the new headquarters for the Leadership Institute of Sarawak Civil Service (LI), which is now 90 per cent complete, is expected to serve as a catalyst for strengthening the leadership of the state’s public sector.
LI Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Dr Azhar Ahmad, said a site visit with strategic partners from the Sarawak Centre of Performance Excellence (SCOPE) was conducted yesterday to inspect the progress of the nearly completed project.
“We expect to move into the new building by the end of this year, and the letter of handover for the current premises to the Sarawak Agriculture Institute (IPS) has also been signed,” he said when met by reporters after officiating LI’s Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration in Semenggok on Thursday.
According to him, the new headquarters, located near the Centre of Technical Excellence (CENTEX), will serve as LI’s permanent home after operating in temporary premises for a long time.
“Previously, we operated in Simpang Tiga before moving to the Semenggok building, which belongs to IPS.
“With this new headquarters, LI is expected to expand with various new functions and facilities, supported by a dedicated team eager to plan and deliver high-quality training programmes,” he explained.
Elaborating further, he said the move is not merely a change of location, but an opportunity to expand training programmes with more advanced and conducive facilities.
“We will not only continue existing programmes, but are also likely to introduce new ones, depending on the available facilities as well as the needs and capabilities of our human resources.
“However, I want to stress that the true quality of training does not solely depend on buildings or physical equipment, because it begins from within – our attitude and commitment to change and to meet quality standards.
“Therefore, the entire LI team must work together as one unit to ensure that the transformation to the new headquarters comes with improved work culture and training programme delivery,” he said.
He added that LI also has the potential to expand collaborations with the private sector and other strategic partners in delivering development and training programmes for Sarawak’s civil servants.
“In line with the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030), LI is set to play a key role in producing a public service leadership that is not only competent but also ready to face global changes including digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI),” he concluded.
