Hajiji: GovTech Should Prioritise Easier, More User-friendly Services For People

KOTA KINABALU, Sept 22 (Bernama) -- The implementation of the government technology (GovTech) agenda in Sabah should prioritise citizen experience and proactive service delivery to ensure that government affairs are easier, faster and more user-friendly.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the GovTech philosophy, which places the people at the centre or adopts a ‘people-centric design’, meant that the government would no longer simply wait for people to seek services or face burdensome bureaucratic red tape.

“Instead, technology is utilised to ensure that government services can reach the people directly, seamlessly and in a user-friendly manner,” he said in a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Department today.

Hajiji’s speech at the opening ceremony of the 18th Digital@Sabah Seminar and Digital Tamu 2026 at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) here was delivered by Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Ceasar Mandela Malakun.

Hajiji said digital transformation was also important in improving the ease of doing business in Sabah, thereby helping to attract investments and drive the state’s economic development.

“However, we must remember that advanced technology is merely a tool. GovTech will be meaningless without a change in attitude and mindset among civil servants,” he said.

Hajiji said the efficiency, integrity and empathy of civil servants were the ‘main engine’ that gave technology purpose in promoting the well-being of the people of Sabah.

The modernisation of the public sector through GovTech also enabled state and federal government agencies to break down siloed working systems, with data and system integration among agencies serving as a prerequisite for fast, easy and transparent service delivery.

He said the approach was also important in efforts to narrow the socioeconomic gap and ensure that the benefits of digital development reached the people, including those in rural and interior areas.

Hajiji also reminded that increased reliance on the digital ecosystem must be accompanied by strong cybersecurity safeguards, including the protection of the personal data of the people entrusted to government agencies.

-- BERNAMA