S’wak ministry launches three handbooks to streamline local council services

KUCHING (Dec 11): Three guidelines handbooks were launched to strengthen governance and streamline service delivery within local authorities at the Ministry of Public Health, Housing and Local Government (MPHLG) Awards Ceremony 2025 here.

The handbooks include the ‘Guidelines for Quality Grass Cutting’, ‘Guidelines for Fibre to the Drain (FTTD) Installation’, and ‘Guidelines for Effective Road and Drain Cleaning’.

MPHLG permanent secretary Datu Elizabeth Loh said the handbooks will establish clearer standards, enhance accountability, and improve service delivery across all councils.

“The FTTD Guidelines provide safe and systematic procedures for fibre installation through drainage systems, protecting drainage assets while supporting Sarawak’s regulated digital infrastructure development.

“The Quality Grass Cutting Guidelines ensure uniform standards, safety and consistent urban landscape maintenance, while the Road and Drain Cleaning Guidelines strengthen cleanliness, reduce risks such as flash floods, and enhance monitoring mechanisms,” she said.

All three handbooks are anchored in the Sarawak Civil Service (SCS) 3R principles — Revisit, Rethink and Recharge, encouraging continuous improvement, modernisation of practices and renewed commitment to effective public service.

Loh also highlighted the ministry and council’s achievements this year, including the Anugerah Kualiti Perkhidmatan Awam Sarawak (Akpans) and Sarawak’s Overall Sustainable Status under the Malaysian Urban-Rural National Indicators Network for Sustainable Development (MURNInets) rating, as well as Gold and Merit awards at the 11th Premier Sarawak Environmental Awards.

She noted that these accolades reflect strong commitment to customer engagement, digital readiness, and service accessibility, while the state government continues to emphasise results through Outcome-Based Budgeting (OBB) and the new Result-Based Budgeting (RBB) framework to enhance organisational performance, financial accountability and integrity.

Preparations are also underway to implement accrual accounting for local authorities next year to improve transparency, financial reporting and decision-making capabilities.

A total of 369 recipients received the Outstanding Staff Achievement Award (APC) 2024 and the Sustainable, Measurable, Achievable, Responsible and Transformational (SMART) Community Award during the ceremony.

The handbooks were officially launched by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian, with Kuching South Mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng also in attendance.