KOTA KINABALU: There is no hocus pocus in the ‘secret recipe’ to success amongst Sabah’s statutory bodies and agencies throughout the decades, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Aman.
He said he had taken the ‘honesty is the best policy’ advice given unanimously by his brother, Datuk Ayub Aman, and the state’s prolific entrepreneurs when he was growing up as a boy and working as a businessman.
Musa, who took the reigns as Chief Minister and Finance Minister in 2003, added he had put that belief and combined it with hard work, efficiency and discipline so every state agency and statutory body are impacted with constructive changes.
Today, Sabah has increasing numbers of five-star financial management awarded to state ministries, departments and agencies based on the accountability index rating in the Auditor-General’s Report.
Musa said the state statutory bodies and agencies have also contributed an accumulated RM300 million to the state government agencies.
“Good management can be done very well out there so why can’t government agencies and statutory bodies be managed well,” said Musa when officiating the seventh Sabah Statutory Bodies and Agencies Board of Directors Course 2017 here yesterday.
“We know that there were many mismanagement and even ill-management occurrences happening in the past. With that, indeed, the agencies will experience problems, worse losses and even worse closed office (business) as it could not function.
“More worrying is when the state government was asked to pay for the salary of the staff. This is something that I, as Finance Minister, and the government do not like,” he reminisced.
However, he said good changes can be observed in the management and the mindset of chairmen as well as board of directors.
Musa reminded that the chairmen as well as board of directors designation is not a privilege but a responsibility to the people.
“Because the money does not belong to you, it belongs to the government. When it belongs to the government, it belongs to the rakyat. When it belongs to the rakyat, that is our responsibility because the rakyat trust us to run the state administration and companies. If we abuse the power and forget ourselves that is a problem.
“Does it involve magic, or is it black magic? No. It is the right attitude,” he said.
The Chief Minister said with the changing times, it is important for chairmen and board of directors to continue their involvement in the Sabah Statutory Bodies and Agencies Board of Directors Course to increase knowledge and exposure.
He added this includes better understanding of the Companies Act 2016.
“It is called upon us to conduct courses like this to increase awareness about the importance to carry out the tasks entrusted by the government and people to ensure we can manage in the best possible way,” emphasized Musa.
The course has been held annually to raise awareness and exposure on current and relevant issues on management among board of directors in state to help increase efficiency and performance of the organizations.
This year, the two-day course is focused on the Companies Act 2016, among others.
Warisan Harta Sdn Bhd also coordinated an exhibition in conjunction with the course at 1Borneo Hypermall.
Assistant Finance Ministers Datuk Ramlee Marahaban and Datuk Michael Asang, as well as the ministry’s Permanent Secretary Datuk Pg Hassanel Mohd Tahir were among the dignitaries at the ceremony.