KUCHING: Innovation in the public sector must be translated into practical solutions that improve people’s lives rather than merely serving as projects to win awards or fill reports.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said the true value of innovation lies not in recognition or trophies but in its ability to enhance public service delivery and improve community well-being.
“Innovation is not just about creating something new. It is also about improving what already exists and continually asking ourselves how we can better serve the people.
“Ask ourselves this every day: how can we serve people better? It’s not about innovating something that has no human impact. That is only for trophies.
“What is important is that whatever we innovate makes a difference to the community, to the people we serve,” he said when officiating at the closing ceremony and prize presentation of the Ministry of Public Health, Housing and Local Government (MPHLG) Innovative and Creative Group (KIK) Convention 2026 on Wednesday night (July 1).
Dr Sim, who is also the Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government, urged government agencies to ensure that successful innovations are expanded and adopted across departments rather than remaining isolated projects or documentation.
He said the convention theme, ‘Innovating Public Service, Transforming Communities’, reflected the importance of cross-agency collaboration, as innovative ideas could emerge from any department and be adapted to solve common challenges.
“Our ultimate goal is for people to recognise innovations from Sarawak and come here to learn from us. Along the way, we must also show the world what Sarawak is achieving,” he said.
As Sarawak works towards its 2030 development agenda, Dr Sim said the civil service will continue to play a critical role through digitalisation, smart city development, organisational restructuring, and the transformation of state-owned enterprises.
He added that the growing confidence in Sarawak today was the result of collective efforts by civil servants, local authorities, government agencies and the public.
Citing the Sarawak Heart Centre as an example, Dr Sim said the facility had treated more than 300,000 patients over the past 25 years, demonstrating that the success of innovation should be measured by lives improved and saved, rather than awards received.
He called on participants of the convention to continue producing innovations that can be translated into practical solutions and integrated into Sarawak’s long-term development agenda.
