SINGAPORE – The Sarawak civil service has embarked on a sweeping reform drive, unveiling more than 200 initiatives under its Revisit, Rethink, Recharge (3R) strategy to elevate public service delivery and better align with evolving challenges.
During the closing of the Sarawak Civil Service One Team Retreat (SCS OTR) 2025 held in Singapore, Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki, State Secretary, described the 3R approach as more than a slogan, it signals a deeper commitment to modernising governance.
He noted the civil service must adapt not only to internal demands but to external trends in the economy, workforce and infrastructure.
Addressing the retreat, he reminded civil servants that their mission extends beyond maintaining prior gains:
“As civil servants, we must always move forward. Do not be easily satisfied with what we have achieved so far. Improvement and innovation must be made a work culture.”
He urged the expansion of current programmes across Sarawak, emphasising that relevance and agility are key to delivering tangible community impact.
A salient feature of the retreat was the elevated role given to heads of departments as internal moderators and presenters an indication of effort to build leadership capacity from within.
Abu Bakar lauded their performance and affirmed there remains untapped potential among Sarawak’s civil servants.
The ceremony was presided over by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Tun Abang Openg, with presence from Deputy Premiers, state ministers and agency heads.
At the event, the Premier reiterated his vision for Sarawak to develop a “lean civil service” a streamlined but highly productive public administration capable of supporting strategic economic goals.
He also pointed to the importance of leveraging government-linked companies (GLCs) to manage state assets efficiently, thereby enabling sustainable returns and reducing bureaucratic burden.
Observers note that the 3R framework aligns with previous calls for internal transformation in the civil service.
Abu Bakar has long championed revising legacy procedures (Revisit), reimagining operations (Rethink) and enhancing institutional capacity (Recharge), paired with a “One Team” culture to prevent silos.
As Sarawak positions itself toward a developed and high-income status by 2030, success now depends on whether the civil service can convert its ambition into consistent, responsive action.
