Premier: Sarawak tops nation in certified integrity officers for transparent governance

KUCHING (Oct 10): Sarawak has emerged as the state with the highest number of certified integrity officers (CeIOs) in Malaysia, said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.

He said Sarawak currently has a total of 211 certified CeIOs deployed across various sectors, including 25 officers in ministries, 64 in government departments, 55 in statutory bodies, 28 in local authorities, 27 in Resident offices, and 12 in other agencies.

“This makes Sarawak the state with the largest number of CeIOs compared to other states in Malaysia. I believe this achievement reflects our aspiration to have at least one CeIO in every agency across Sarawak.

“While this is a significant accomplishment, what matters most is that these officers perform their roles with excellence, accountability, and integrity.

“When CeIOs carry out their duties effectively, it not only strengthens public trust in government leadership but also ensures more transparent governance, free from corrupt practices,” he said during the ‘Majlis Amanat Perdana Integriti (MAP-I) 2024’ at the Sarawak Islamic Complex here today.

In this regard, Abang Johari expressed his gratitude to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Academy (MACA), especially to MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Dato Sri Azam Baki, for their close cooperation with the Sarawak Integrity and Ombudsman Unit (Unions) in organising the CeIO programme in the state.

“This strong collaboration has helped Sarawak build a highly qualified and integrity-driven workforce to ensure good governance at all levels.

“I am also proud that several CeIOs have been appointed as department heads in state government agencies. I extend my congratulations to them, as these appointments mark an important step in strengthening the integrity of our public service.

“My hope is that the departments led by these CeIOs will serve as examples to others in implementing good governance, ensuring more transparent, efficient, and effective services for the people and the state of Sarawak.

“By instilling the value of integrity from a young age, we are shaping ethical and responsible officers. These values will guarantee the well-being and economic prosperity for all layers of our society,” he said.

Abang Johari also called on all Sarawakians, especially civil servants, to work together closely to ensure that the mission of achieving developed state status with high integrity by 2030 can be realised.

“I urge everyone to start working towards this mission now. For instance, we need to shape Sarawak’s younger generation with strong values of integrity, so that the prosperity and economic sustainability we enjoy today can be passed down to future generations.

“Therefore, it is crucial that we carry out all responsibilities with integrity and instill these values in our youth, so that we can achieve both economic prosperity and human capital sustainability for our nation,” he said.

The event, themed ‘Fostering Integrity for Our Future Generations’, was organised in collaboration with the Sarawak Integrity and Ombudsman Unit (Unions), the Sarawak Premier’s Department, and the Malaysian Institute of Integrity (IIM).

Over 1,500 people attended the event physically this afternoon, while around 12,000 more participated virtually, involving staff from both state and federal government agencies in Sarawak.

Also present were Deputy Premiers Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan and Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki, Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Integrity and Ombudsman) Datuk Juanda Jaya and Public Service Department director-general Tan Sri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz.