Public service innovations must be replicated, scaled across agencies to maximise impact

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By Karen Bong

KUCHING, June 12: Innovations developed within the public service should not be confined to a single agency, but instead must have the potential to be replicated, adapted and scaled across other departments to generate wider and more meaningful impact.

Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts and Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said this principle is crucial in ensuring that ideas generated through the Creative and Innovative Group (KIK) initiatives move beyond pilot projects or internal improvements, and are translated into practical solutions that strengthen overall government service delivery.

“This convention, carried out under the theme ‘From Ideas to Impact’, reflects the Sarawak public service’s commitment to turning creativity into measurable outcomes that benefit the people,” he emphasised when addressing the Ministries’ Creative and Innovative Group (KIK) Convention 2026 Awards Ceremony held at a hotel here today.

He said the KIK Convention has become an important strategic platform that drives innovation in the public sector, ensuring that every project is aligned with the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS 2030) as well as other key development frameworks, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), Sarawak Sustainability Blueprint, Sarawak Digital Economy Blueprint and Result-Based Budgeting (RBB).

Abdul Karim stressed that public sector innovation must be grounded in strong shared values, including integrity, professionalism, results-oriented work culture, teamwork, care and urgency, which collectively form the foundation of an efficient and forward-looking administration.

“These values are not just principles on paper, but must be practised in daily work to foster creativity, collaboration and continuous improvement across all levels of government,” he said.

He added that civil servants must be willing to think creatively, explore new approaches and work across agencies under the Whole-of-Government (WoG) approach, avoiding silo-based operations that hinder efficiency and coordination.

Abdul Karim also highlighted the growing importance of digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI) in strengthening data-driven decision-making within the public service, noting that innovation efforts under KIK are aligned with Sarawak’s broader aspiration to advance its digital economy and AI adoption agenda.

He said the government remains committed to balancing technological progress with environmental sustainability through the dual transition of digitalisation and green development.

A total of 17 groups from the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts (MTCP) and the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development (MYSED) participated in this year’s KIK Convention, involving more than 123 participants from across Sarawak.

He praised the strong participation, saying it reflects a growing culture of innovation, teamwork and continuous improvement within the public service.

“KIK is not merely a competition, but a collective commitment to ensure that ideas are transformed into impactful and sustainable initiatives,” he said, adding that all projects presented should be taken forward, replicated and expanded by government agencies, private sector players, NGOs and local communities.

He also encouraged public servants to use KIK as a platform to develop their potential, strengthen their careers and contribute to value creation for their organisations and the wider community. — DayakDaily

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