KOTA KINABALU: Any state officer or employee who feel that they can no longer effectively carry out the responsibilities entrusted to them should notify their superiors or the Chief Minister, said Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
He said this is so that redeployment can be considered and to create room for improvement, strengthen the public service, and ensure that the interests of the people are prioritised.
He said that public service personnel were not merely executors of instructions, but strategic partners to the government leadership in realising state government policies and programmes.
“Civil servants are not merely those who simply profess ‘I, who follow orders’, but are also strategic government partners in translating policies and programmes into outcomes that have direct impacts on the lives of the people and the progress of our beloved nation,” said Hajiji.
He said governments may change, and policies may shift or be adjusted accordingly but as the backbone of stability and effectiveness in government administrations, the public service must remain professional, neutral, and people-oriented.
Addressing state civil service personnel at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) here Friday (Jan 30), the Chief Minister said that members of the civil service must remain united and steadfast with a strong spirit of service, discipline, and integrity.
Hajiji said the state government is committed to establishing a more orderly, structured, and disciplined administration, as unethical conduct not only tarnishes reputations but also affects families, institutions they represent, and may result in significant losses to the state and nation.
To further strengthen integrity in the public service, Hajiji said the State Government, through the State Public Service Department, is currently working to obtain integrated certification for the Quality Management System (MS ISO 9001:2015) and the Anti-Bribery Management System (ABMS 37001:2025).
“This will strengthen organisational governance, enhance the efficiency of public service delivery, and demonstrate an ongoing commitment to integrity, transparency, and accountability in management and administration,” he said.
He said personnel in public service, statutory bodies and government-linked companies (GLCs) must continue to be empowered to ensure a consistent, effective and efficient delivery system.
On another note, Hajiji thanked the people of Sabah for the renewed mandate given after last year’s state election, saying that the state government had improved in many areas of administration, social and economic activities since then.
He said Sabah was prepared to achieve sustained progress and development and reminded that strong cooperation between the leadership and the civil service as well as relations with the federal government would sustain this momentum of success.
Hajiji said that recent developments in Sabah politics have strengthened the state government’s position, enabling it to secure a two-thirds majority in the State Legislative Assembly, thereby ensuring political stability crucial to the continuity of development and long-term well-being of the people.
He said this stability also opened up space for the state government to draft and amend the State Constitution in line with current needs which includes the proposal to limit the Chief Minister’s term of office to a maximum of two terms or 10 years, among other things.
Towards this end, he said the restructuring of several ministries, departments and government agencies, including GLCs, is being carried out as an improvement measure and to ensure that the administrative machinery continues to be strengthened and enhanced.
