BY THIVYAMALINI RAMALU
PUTRAJAYA: The adoption of digital technologies by the public service sector across the country is expected to drive innovation and enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of public service delivery, according to Chief Secretary to the Government (KSN) Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar.
He said the initiative is in line with the aspirations of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who wants the MADANI Government under his leadership to focus on digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI) and ensure that government agencies adopt the latest technologies in their operations.
“For a start, we have already seen several agencies, such as the Road Transport Department (JPJ), the Immigration Department, and the Ministry of Health, implementing digitalisation of their services.
“For example, many government departments no longer accept cash payments, and the use of cashless methods helps reduce the risk of misconduct and prevent leakage,” he said in an exclusive interview with Bernama, marking the 100-day milestone of his appointment as the 16th KSN, which falls on Nov 19.
Shamsul Azri, 55, who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA, was appointed as the KSN on Aug 12.
According to Shamsul Azri, digitalisation enhances the efficiency of public services and can reduce dependence on a large workforce, thereby generating cost savings for the government.
“So we are heading towards that because we believe that when we implement digitalisation, we can control the number of workers because labour is a cost. When we implement digitalisation, the cost to the government will be reduced. The government under the PMX (10th PM Anwar) is fully in support of AI. We are definitely moving toward a digital government,” he said.
In the long term, he said that digitalisation can also reduce reliance on physical counters by allowing the public to access various government services online, thereby reducing the need to visit government offices or counters.
“We will certainly move towards computerization and digitalization. We will review all the regulations, systems, and procedures that we can transform into workable systems that will make things easier for the people…because, in reality, the more you maintain a physical approach, the more you have to invest in buildings, counters, and people.
“But when you go for computerization, you reduce costs and the burden on the government. That should be the way forward. That is what developed countries do,” said the KSN, who previously held the position of Director-General of the Public-Private Partnership Unit (UKAS) in the Prime Minister’s Department (JPM).
In addition, for the purpose of developing the competencies of public servants, Shamsul Azri said that 21 officers from 11 ministries and agencies have currently been sent to Bangalore, also known as India’s “Silicon Valley,” under the Accelerated Industrial Attachment for Competency Excellence (AICE) Programme aimed at gaining insights into the field of AI at leading companies.
He said after six months of training, these AICE participants are expected to look into suitable methods that can be implemented within their respective departments, thereby leading to digital reform in public services.
“They are all senior officers. By the time they complete the six months, they will return and assess within their ministries and agencies where improvements can be made, where we can implement digitalisation, and how we can improve processing times, and so on,” he added.
The AICE programme is a government initiative through the Public Service Department (PSD) aimed at developing internal expertise (both managerial and technical) within the public service in collaboration with private companies, covering areas such as AI, energy transition, digital transformation, food security, disaster management, cybersecurity, and national boundaries. – Bernama
