Projects must deliver real impact: SS

KUCHING: Development projects should be judged by whether they improve people’s lives rather than merely being marked as completed, said State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki.

“Government agencies must focus on outcomes and ensure every programme and innovation delivers tangible benefits to the people.

“Sometimes, we implement many projects simply for the sake of completing them.

“We need to ask ourselves whether the people have actually felt the benefits of what we have implemented,” he said at the Sarawak Land and Survey Department’s (LANDAS) Innovation and Integrity Day (HIITS) 2026 at Riverside Majestic Hotel here today.

Abu Bakar said the department plays a critical role as an enabler of development, with efficient, transparent and ethical land administration helping strategic projects begin on schedule.

He noted that almost every development, including houses, roads and other infrastructure, requires support involving land matters.

He therefore urged its personnel to work closely with other departments and agencies to prevent land administration processes from delaying planned developments.

Meanwhile, Abu Bakar welcomed the department’s new HIITS IdeaX Challenge as a platform for personnel to explore solutions using their expertise in land administration and geospatial information.

He said such expertise could be used to address broader challenges, including those linked to climate change, while improving the department’s delivery of services.

According to the 2026 Sarawak Budget report, the state has budgeted RM9.3 billion for development expenditure this year, highlighting the need for supporting agencies to facilitate timely project implementation.

“Delivering with impact means we must not allow projects or programmes to be implemented without their benefits being felt by the people,” he said.