KUCHING: Sarawak should have a central body to manage research and development towards greater innovation in the civil service, says Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.

       The Chief Minister said he supported the proposal for such an organisation by State Secretary Datuk Amar Jaul Samion to enable innovative products and solutions to be developed and sustained.

       "Civil servants need to find ways to produce better products or services, either through modifications or improvements.

       "The innovations produced can improve the quality and productivity of the organisation and the lives of the people," he said at the state civil service innovation convention awards here on Thursday (Oct 14).

       Abang Johari said it was high time for the state government to be innovative in order to serve the people better.

       To achieve this, he said government agencies and civil servants should break away from the silo mentality.

       "We must be strategically collaborative and work together actively across all sectors.

       "We cannot create public value in isolation. Better outcomes need to be developed collaboratively," he said.

       In addition, Abang Johari said an innovative government must be proactive and have foresight in exploring scenarios and taking action to shape the future.

       "The one thing we have learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic is that we can no longer be reactive in handling any kind of crises.

       "We must be agile and ready for the next crisis in the future," he said.