USOA to Hold 2011 Annual Conference in Jacksonville, Florida

The United States Ombudsman Association has announced that its thirty-first annual meeting will take place at the Crowne Plaza Jacksonville Riverfront Hotel on Wednesday, October 26, 2011 through Friday, October 28, 2011. As usual, there will be two days of pre-conference workshops on Monday, October 26 and Tuesday, October 27. Additional details will be forthcoming. (USOA.)

Related posts: USOA 30th Annual Conference in Colorado; USOA Will Meet in Ohio for 31st Annual Conference; Follow the USOA 2010 Conference on Twitter.

American University of Beirut Receives Funding for New Ombuds Office

The secular, private university in Lebanon has received a grant that will fund, in part, a proposed Ombuds program for the the medical campus. An Ombuds program has been under consideration at AUB since at least 2004, when female faculty lobbied for an "an ombudsman office for addressing faculty concerns anonymously." In a November 2009 report to the University's trustees, AUB President Peter F. Dorman backed an Organizational Ombuds program for faculty, staff and students as a supplement for a updated grievance and harassment policy.

The $2.3 million grant to AUB was provided by American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA) to help update teaching, research, and patient facilities on campus and in the AUB Medical Center. Additional details regarding the new Ombuds program have not been released. (AUB News Highlights, President's Report to Trustees, Bulletin Today.)

Related post: American University of Kuwait Unveils Ombuds Program.

Sarawak needs leeway to deal with world investors

The perspective plan for the development of SCORE is 20 years, not 10 years. The plan, unlike those in other states, stretches all the way to the year 2030 and not to the year 2020 like. Admittedly, Sarawak is introducing something that is completely new in Malaysia. Understandably, the people, at the Federal level have been asking why the State has to put up a perspective plan for is 20 years and not 10 years like other States. But the State government has been told that the full picture of the development of the potentials can only emerge with a 20-year plan. Therefore, all estimates made are within the period of 2030. 

It is anticipated that more heavy industries, with potentials to attract downstream industries like aluminum factories will be created after that period. In other words, the development of downstream industries will unfold more and more after the year 2020. However, the development is expected to happen round about the year 2015 all the way to the year 2020. The rate will increase more and more after the year 2020.  This is what will happen in Sarawak towards the year 2020. The escalation in jobs creation will increase much more after the year 2020 than before that year. 

The Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE)

Chief Minister, Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud, says the State government will invest about RM67 billion out of the total investment of over RM360 billion for the development of SCORE towards the year 2030. The proportion will be bigger than those for Peninsular Malaysia but the impact will be beyond SCORE development area. 

The assumption that SCORE will only benefit areas between Tanjung Manis and Samalaju and all the way down to Baram and Tunoh in Kapit is incorrect; SCORE will benefit a much greater area. Out of the total of 1.6 million job opportunities that will come up, about 830,000 will be in SCORE area and the rest will be floated outside it. 

Some of the spin off effects of the development of heavy industries may help Malacca, if not Penang, where there is lots of development in the electronic sector that can use some of the semi processed products from Sarawak. Generally, there will more linkages between Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak in development. Hopefully, it will have some implications on the State’s ability to increase export volume to Peninsular Malaysia, which at the moment is very small. The State imports a great deal of goods from Peninsular Malaysia but export very little; the ships on their return trips are normally empty. 

SCORE gets US$11 bln investment

For example, Malacca can import silicon ingots, being manufactured in Sarawak, directly from the State rather than to compete with other manufacturers in getting the same products or semi processed products from further afield. This has the advantage of keeping the money inside the country. Besides, it also gives downstream manufacturers in Peninsular Malaysia a greater security of supply of the semi processed goods. This is an example how more linkages will be established between Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak in future.  Such linkages should be able to create more jobs further afield rather than just in Sarawak.  

In this connection, the people in Peninsular Malaysia can also look for jobs coming up in Sarawak as not all of them can be filled by Sarawakians.  The State Government believes, though it planned for better educational and training programs five years ago, there will still be insufficient inputs into the institutions of trainings and universities to give sufficient job seekers for all the jobs that will be created in Sarawak even before the year 2020. 

Pehin Sri Abdul Taib says it is the view of the State government that the development of SCORE must be put in a different context, namely its impact on Malaysia towards the year 2030. There is no question, after the year 2020, that Sarawak will have the problem of how to sustain its development, the development Sarawak as a whole and the development of SCORE in particular. 

It is projected that the State will be able to produce five times more income from that of today’s level by the year 2030.    Undoubtedly, it is more desirable for the State to integrate its policy together with Peninsular Malaysia. However, at the same time, Sarawakians must be given a lot of leeway and autonomy in designing the format of development that may not necessarily be quite the same as in Peninsular Malaysia. 

For example, Sarawak has to deal with world players, big investors who have got established world policies on investment that give them a lot of advantages; the State has to grapple with their demands or requirements.  The State must know what they want or what kind of industries that they want to set up.  

Understandably, there can be a lot of debates coming up at the Federal and state levels because of the inability to appreciate the specialist needs to a lot of these world investors. Therefore, success depends on the ability of the State to make the federal government appreciates that most of the problems can be tackled at the ground level rather than at the top. 

SCORE PROJECTED TOTAL INVESTMENT

Though the Prime Minister seemed to be philosophically attuned to these kinds of ways of achieving better progress for the future, but there a lot more people to be convinced to be in tune with him.  In other words, the Federal machinery must be properly tuned  to give sufficient autonomy to the State to meet the requirements of heavy industries.  

One good example was the establishment of MMC, a company that manufactures about 6,000 megawatts of solar cell. The company came in about a year ago and its factory is about to be completed in Samajaya.  This is a good example of where there is a will, where there is understanding and where there is determination Sarawak can serve industries as quickly as it can.  

The development of SCORE, induced by competitive prices of energy, can be done in a more sophisticated way. The response of investors is well placed in aluminum, manganese, steel, poly silicon ingot and other tin-related industries.  The investors are very happy to come because they believe that Sarawak, which can offer competitive prices of energy, is the best launching pad to serve the growing hunger of China for the raw materials. 

China, at the same time, is developing a policy to hike some of its manufacturing facilities that require high consumption of energy. China is pursuing a policy to seek the higher end of manufacturing activities inside the country and allow the middle end from outside to be more accessible to China. 

MANPOWER DEMAND

The development of hydro dam at Bakun, being the first project to be developed in the State had to face a lot of problems.  Therefore, Sarawak could not afford to wait for for the completion of Bakun hydro project to do other things.  In fact Sarawak has gone ahead with the construction of Murum dam and feasibility study of Ulu Baram and Pelagus hydro dams with a view to make them on line for development in the next few years. 

At the same time, the State Government is looking at Limbang and Lawas for the development of energy in co-operation with Brunei and probably Sabah.  That will bring us upfront to 6,000 megawatts by the year 2020. That will be sufficient to give development of more than 6.5 per cent every year. The development will be within the expectation of the federal government for the State to achieve. 

Sarawak, which has been fighting from the periphery before, should be able to go right into the centre because of the change in development in Asia. The State lost a lot of competitive position after 1997 because of the rise of China. At one time, China was more or less the manufacturing hub of the whole world. But today it does not need to manufacture everything. They want to go for quality and like us want to develop the high income economy.  Sarawak is in the position that fits very well with the development planning of China and India as the rising market in the world. They can be a partner for trade and joint ventures and in investment.

benuasains

*Photos Source: http://www.recoda.com.my/

OO Blogger Predicts Growing Work for Ombuds in 2011

In his latest post at the Organizational Ombudsman Blog, Clayton Gilman finds reason to be optimistic about the Ombuds field next year. He believes the current economic conditions provide opportunity and a demand for Ombuds working with individuals, groups and small organizations.

The trend is going to continue and has already begun exponentially escalating where complaints and grievances from lower and middle-income Americans need a voice with government and corporate entities. The paradigm shift from expensive and damaging formal legal services to ombudsman ADR is well underway and beginning next year we will see more formal groups and structures advocate and develop access for informal mediation. We are experiencing and observing a flood of legal issues people are facing as attempts over the last two years by governments, state and federal, to provide a system to resolve economic hardship issues failed or there was never enough capacity in the system to provide equal access.

Gilman also urges Ombuds not already at “capacity” to consider expanding their scope and doing community outreach and serving outsiders during these austere times. (Organizational Ombudsman Blog.)

Prior posts about the OO Blogger.

Job seekers must be ready to adjust to changing environment

Our human resource development program must be tailored to produce people who can perform to the peak of their efficiency in their jobs primarily to meet the demands of the both the domestic and global markets. The State, the country as whole, cannot afford to have people with the attitude to work as they like or just follow what other people are doing. 

The program must also help to enlighten job seekers, including degree and diploma holders, to approach their jobs with open mind and preparedness to adjust to work environment. After all Darwin did not say the strongest should survive nor did he say only the cleverest and the strongest among the fittest would survive.  What he wrote was only those that could adapt to change should survive or the ones that can adapt to changes are the ones that will survive.

In the modern economic settings, workers have to work in the environment of change. Therefore, it will do us well to remember something that Darwin wrote 700 years ago. Basically job seekers or workers must be able to adapt to changes, which form prominent features of development in the state and country. The general thing there is always present in the development of Sarawak is change, which necessitates job seekers to develop the ability to adapt to change. Preferably, they must develop such qualities before they actually go to the work places.  

Obviously, one of the most conspicuous things about Malaysia, with the drive to make the private sector to become the new engine of growth, is the rapidly expanding export sector of the economy. The state has to depend on the ability to find market at the international level in what ever industry it undertakes to do. The domestic market is still too small for the fast developing economy. 

As the manufacturing industries gear toward the world market, the State must  begin to play the same role as Germany, USA and other most advanced trading nations of the world.  However, it must equip local workers with relevant knowledge and skills to exploit the potentials of the world market. The State must increase the capacity and capability to produce goods and services not only to meet the need and demand of domestic market but globally. In other words, the goods and services must be able to compete in the world market.

Obviously, which ever way the State looks at job opportunities, one thing is certain, jobs availability will be determined by the world market. In this respect, though training remains an important factor of employability, it is increasingly being calibrated by skills to ensure job seekers can face the challenge of competing in the world market.

However, as the country becomes more prosperous, there is a tendency among the people to take things easier. Some people think that they do not have to worry as they are sure to get job once they leave colleges or universities. Nevertheless, job requirements will be more exacting or objective – oriented.  Of course, things can be made easier by having more focused procedures to impart knowledge to children, greater improvement in the information industry and the ability to marshal all other techniques to pass knowledge to potential job seekers. They may not be difficult to do. But what ever young people learn in the institutions of higher learning are insufficient for them to do their jobs well in the market.

Therefore, job seekers must acquaint themselves with skills that can help them to make full use of their basic qualifications to do their jobs well.  In certain areas, job seekers also need to develop soft skills like the ability to get along with their core workers and the discipline to tap the brain of their superiors as a way to improve performances. In this respect, they must be prepared to swallow some of the big feelings that as graduates they know all.

The State government has been getting a lot of feedback on the necessity for fresh graduates to acquire knowledge and skill on how to pick the right jobs in the market. Admittedly, human resource development program through educational institutions, as indicated by Human resources survey, is quite general. 

Secondly, efforts have to be made to study ways and means how the State can take full advantage of the widespread use of computer in the world.  Besides, necessary steps must be taken to minimize the problem of a general mismatch between what the State produces in schools and what the job market can offer. Admittedly, the analysis on problems being faced by job seekers, who include degree and diploma holders, indicates there is a general mismatch between the education system and the requirements of the job market.

Hence, efforts must be made to rectify the problem, though not easy to do so, to avoid creating bigger problems for the new generation. Admittedly, human resource development program through educational institutions, as indicated by Human resources survey, is quite general. Therefore, there is a need to identify new areas in our economy with the potentials to create new jobs for the people.

Generally, fresh graduates must endeavor to acquire a lot of skills as they prepare to enter into the world of employment. Besides, they must have the humility and ability to adjust in working with other people and generally be more open minded in their work to enable them to improve and benefit from performances of their colleagues. Undoubtedly, the greatest aim of any job situation is the ability to improve oneself with the attitude that in what ever one does he must do it well. That is what the big job is all about in the future.

Perhaps, there is a need to scale down some of the expectations of graduates as a way to impress upon them the necessity to develop relevant skills to prepare for the jobs market. They must avoid thinking that as graduates they may know all only to find out that they may not be so. For example, they may consider developing soft skills before deciding to take permanent jobs.  For this reason, capacity building is being embedded in Human resource development program as a way to prepare job seekers to anticipate their roles and responsibility as modern workers. For example, they   must be able to appreciate the need to interact with their colleagues and make family life consonant with the search for happiness in the working life. In other words, the pursuit for job must be harmonious with the way to structure our family life.

Besides, fresh graduates, as job seekers must also realize the need to get along with the society in order to develop faster than those, who prefer to become world flowers or people who want to stand in a little corner of their houses. This is a fact of life. Generally, people, who can get along with the society, tend to develop faster than those, who prefer to be on their own.

Hitherto, the State has been experiencing a fast pace of development as part of the transformation from a poor to a rich country. It helps the people to realize that it is not easy to become rich as it is not just the question of money but having the ability to do the jobs and enjoy good relationship with people, who are within our circles of friends, colleagues and others.  Of course, soft skills embrace quite a lot of fields of activities mainly to prepare participants to enter their new work places with greater feelings of confidence and preparedness to interact with the core workers; they should not feel completely alien to their new work places.

Reviving old mission 

The Prime Minister’s concept of One Malaysia is basically a new dream to revive old mission to get people of diverse ethnic groups and religious beliefs to get along with each other in perpetuity. Its primary objective is to emphasize on the need for the people to be multi-racial in outlook and belief and not to be trapped in the little corner of their life. The people should not be comfortable with what they are familiar with only.  Instead, they must appreciate the need to have a common aspiration or One Aspiration of being part of a united country.  There must be interactions among the people, who must have the ability to appreciate all the good things in others to be able to appreciate those inside them.

Basically, the One Malaysia concept is trying to tie two things together. It is trying to get the society gradually to become cohesive and make it easier for the people to undertake challenges, which are mostly made by acts of team work. The days of trying to invent electric bulbs in little garage or in the basement are over. Nowadays no new invention can be undertaken without very elaborate support and co-operation of colleagues working together in a very complicated environment of laboratory and other testing places.      

Understandably, the biggest research now is a very complicated act of coordinating small findings of people of various disciplines in the common efforts to find an answer to the present worst economics meltdown and climate change. As the world moves more and more towards areas of specialization, the State  must make conscientious efforts to upgrade the research capability to enable us to co-operate meaningfully in a bigger form of co-operation with the rest of the world.

Generally, the State is heading towards an increasingly sophisticated economy which requires us to prepare ourselves for it. We can anticipate this general environment as we move forward to become a developed country by the year 2020 and beyond. Hence, we must make conscientious efforts to develop the capacity and capability of our human resource to enable us to compete on stronger positions for better jobs in future. Generally, the State will require more people with good qualifications and technical skills to accelerate the pace of industrial development in order to become an industrialized state by the year 2020 and beyond. 

benuasains

*Photos Source: google.com images : http://www.cbg.sarawak.gov.my/index.php/gallery/

Job Posting: Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers

ICANN has opened a search for an experienced professional Ombudsman. The winning candidate will have the responsibility of managing the Ombudsman conflict resolution program, fielding and resolving issues and complaints arising from the Internet community, and acting as a functional partner to augment and enhance the mission and goals of ICANN.

Applicants must have at least five years of recent experience as an Executive or Classical Ombuds or mediator; experience and sensitivity dealing with multi-cultural and multi-lingual stakeholders; and an understanding of the technical issues involving the Internet. The position requires up to 50% travel and can be based anywhere in the world as office has robust and dependable Internet access. No salary or closing date indicated. (ICANN Employment Listing.)

Related posts: ICANN Ombuds Launches Blog; ICANN Ombuds Catches Flack in French; ICANN Board Approves Ombuds Protocol; ICANN Ombuds Releases Fifth Annual Report; ICANN Ombuds Will Step Down.

Ombuds at University of Western Ontario Explains Conflict of Interest Policy

A recent article in the UWO newspaper explains the University's conflict of interest policy. Jennifer Meister, Acting UWO Ombudsperson, offered her own example of dealing with a conflict:

A student came to her to investigate some difficulties he was having at Ivey, but her husband is the honours business administration program director at Ivey. “If there is somebody I’m working with who I don’t feel I should be, I refer them to [the assistant ombudsperson],” Meister said. She explained, however, it was not a common occurrence for the office.

The example also reflects her compliance with Ombuds practices of remaining neutral and disclosing conflicts. (UWO Gazette.)

Related post: University of Western Ontario Appoints Interim Ombuds.

Tips for Handling Defensiveness In High Conflict People

Ombuds regularly deal with and coach others to deal with high conflict people (HCPs). Attorney, therapist and mediator, Bill Eddy says HCPs are driven primarily by unconscious defensiveness. Understanding this will avoid frustration and prompting more bad behavior. Eddy says that HCPs' behavior is rooted in a Mistaken Assessment of Danger. The HCP perceives a threat and is trying to protect him or herself.

In a blog posting at Mediate.com, Eddy offers the following tips for dealing with HCPs in the workplace:

1. Reduce their Mistaken Assessment of Danger: Try not to be emotionally threatening;
2. Set Limits on Behavior that’s Aggressively Defensive: Try to show empathy and concern for the person, AND explain the rules or reasons the specific behavior needs to be stopped AND what the consequences are if it continues; and
3. Avoid Giving Negative Feedback: Regardless of how severe the consequences may be for the “bad” behavior, communicate that you want to help the person.

Read his article for more details. (Mediate.com.)

Related post: Organizational Responses to Workplace Bullies.

Cleveland State University Names Permanent Ombuds But Fails to Allocate Resources

Engineering professor Rama Gorla, PhD, has been appointed as Ombudsperson for CSU Ohio. The announcement completes the process of restoring the the Ombuds Office promised earlier this year by CSU President Ronald Berkman. Gorla will be paid a modest stipend to assist faculty, staff and students part time, but has no budget or staff.

Gorla earned his BS from Sri Venkateswara University in Tirupati, South India, his MS from the Indian Institute of Technology, and his PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of Toledo. He has been a member of the CSU faculty since 1977 and has authored hundreds of articles and book chapters, primarily on the topic of fluid dynamics.  In the first three weeks on the job, Gorla has already handled five cases. (CSU Ohio Cauldron; CSU Ohio Gorla Homepage.)

Gorla will be serving as Ombuds for a campus population of about 19,000.  Although it is laudable to see a new program, data from comparable institutions would indicate that CSU has not allocated sufficient resources.  A constituency this size could easily support one or two full-time Ombuds with a dedicated support staff person.

Prior post: Cleveland State University to Appoint Permanent Ombuds.

Foreign NGOs are ignorant about Sarawak

Sarawak  Forest

Sarawak has been getting very negative criticisms from NGOs especially on environment and erroneous reportings by foreign media that the people must decide to use what ever avenues to highlight the facts about issues being raised by them.

It is our fundamental duty as Malaysians of Anak Sarawak, regardless of what ever party we belong to, to defend the interests of the common people, the State and the country. To remain silent can be misconstrued as condoning the activities of foreign NGOs or individuals, who have blatantly passed comments on wrong facts about us.

Though we can expect to be criticised in this borderless world the attacks have been made based on half truths and outright lies; the allegations are baseless and unfounded.  The question that we must ask ourselves is, are we prepared to continue to suffer a lot of adverse criticisms from NGOs and wrong reportings by foreign print and electronic media? If so how will the people the people know the truth about us.

While their kids demonstrate and playing video games

The development of Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) will enable the State to develop the huge hydro potentials in Murum, Baleh, Ulu Baram and coal reserves in Ng. Marit in Ulu Kapit and Balingian in Mukah to generate electricity at reasonable costs. However, such development requires huge capital costs, estimated at RM330 billion.

The State has come to the stage of development where the private sector must play bigger roles and become the new engine of growth as we enter the second wave of development or the era of massive industrialisation. 

The State government has to spend RM3 billion every year for the development of infrastructure in SCORE development areas, those with hydro potentials and huge coal reserves in particular.  Indisputably, the development of SCORE represents the highest the level of development, which, among other things demands a restructure of the development machinery.  

Our kids join the awareness campaign and learn to love nature up close

The development of human resource must start with children, who start going to school at the age of 6. The human resource development represents the most difficult part of the development.  Essentially, the human capital development program must cover the primary, secondary and tertiary education, primarily to train children to become skilled or knowledge workers. Generally, the people in the professional group should have training of between 15 to 16 years while those in the skills category must have three years of skill training in mechanical and technical works after completing SPM education.

Sarawak still have their rainforests for new generation. Your country?

The development of SCORE entails many inter-related elements that have to be put together so that they can function properly as a system in the process.   The State has to work very closely with big investors to develop trigger projects to manufacture products to be exported as the domestic market is still too small. The foreign companies, with their global connections, to develop the trigger projects, should be able to put Sarawak immediately on the world map.

However, the State must develop sufficient infrastructure in order to make big investors to be interested to come and invest in trigger projects in SCORE development area. Besides, the State must make continuous efforts to invest massively in the development of hydro power and coal- fired generating stations.

In this connection, conscientious efforts must be made to attract big foreign investors to develop trigger projects primarily to create opportunities in four ways:

·              Each trigger project can be expected to build cluster of supporting industries such as industrial components, gas and other inputs and services. Local and foreign industries will come to provide specialized products and services to the trigger projects directly;

·              Each trigger project can be expected to create opportunities for downstream industries that can add values to more local products. Besides, the industries should be able to provide more opportunities for local companies comprising of small and medium-sized entrepreneurs to diversify enterprises.  For example, they could invest in the production of aluminum products like reheating or re-melting of solid aluminum.  Glass and palm oil products and food processing could stretch further down the productive chain to make full use of oil palm; the state has developed about 1 million hectares of land for the commodity.  

·              Create opportunities for support industries such as transportation and logistics in the supply chain; and

·              Create opportunities for support services such as learning institutions, health  care and entertainment that will provide the required services for the workers and their families.

Have you ever been to Sarawak, lady?

Understandably, the planning for SCORE takes into consideration the types of jobs that will be available in Sarawak. It pays particular attention to the manpower planning for SCORE potentials.

Chief Minister, Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud says the allegations that all the jobs, relating to the construction of hydro dams, have been awarded to CMS are blatant lies. “I wish to state categorically here that although CMS did bid for the projects but they lost to other companies. That is how this government operates. Don’t repeat anything else that is not the truth.”

Regrettably, most developing countries had suffered a lot of adverse criticisms from NGOs and through wrong reporting by mass media. As we live in a borderless world we have to face such criticisms; when necessary, we have to counter them. For example, we engaged the services of established Public Relations firms to counter such unfair criticisms before. Actually, the State has been getting very negative criticisms from NGOs and erroneous reporting by foreign media since the boom of timber industries and now palm oil industries. We have been attacked unfairly.

He says “I would have thought whatever party we belong to, it is our fundamental duty to defend the interests of the common people; we should not join foreign NGOs or individuals, who have blatantly passed comments on wrong facts about us. Some western countries, which have constructed many hydro dams to generate electricity, do not like to see us doing the same things and become more competitive to them. In other words, they are not happy to see some developing countries, now still struggling, to succeed and compete with them. I am not going to bow down to this kind of thing; hopefully, people from all parties will join me to fight them.”

Understandably, the current priority of the State is the development of SCORE with special attention to the manpower planning for the region. In the next two to three years, there will be manpower requirements in the following industries:

             *  Agro-based industries with the development of the halal hub in Tanjung Manis;

      *  Aluminum and poly silicon industries with the development of Samalaju and  Mukah;

* Construction industries with the development of the required infrastructure for SCORE including logistic and housing; and

    *   Educational and training industries for the development of the required  manpower.

Besides, the state’s major concern is to ensure as far as possible jobs to be created in SCORE will go to the local people. The following steps have to be taken:     

·              Ensure that wages are properly matched with the skills so that the supply of skills is forthcoming. However, people with skills must not be  overpaid  and make ourselves uncompetitive in  the global market; and

·              Ensure that training centers must have the necessary environment and  infrastructure to attract  both trainers and students to them.  If they are located in remote areas, they may not attract trainers and  students ;  they  may not have the required economy of scale. 

SCORE introduces new activities

Actually the development of SCORE represents a major undertaking that is over and above the usual business of the State government. It will introduce new activities, which  may be better performed by additional personnel that could  be hired as specialists under different schemes because of their experience in the industry and market. Therefore, there is a need to expand the capacity of the civil service, which means  increasing the capacity in the human resources  to achieve greater output for implementing SCORE.

During the past 10 years, the State has been able to set UNIMAS, a full fledged university and three university campuses and a number of college campuses. However, the government, which has been spending a lot of money on education, cannot ensure its success without active involvement of community leaders. They must regard education as part of the transformation of the economy from the traditional economy to industrial one, which will be a much higher level of economic development, under the second phase of the politics of development towards the year 2020 and beyond.     

UNIMAS

Undoubtedly, State’s success in development has helped to restructure a new form of community consistent with the concept of COME with stands for Change, Opportunity, Mobility and Equality. For example, at one time, there were very few Bidayuhs in Bintulu, now they form a sizeable community in the town. They can also be found in sizeable number in Mukah to such an extent that they can form their own association. In other words, the State has been able to transform our multi-racial society to become an equal society while preserving the spirit of working as a team. Essentially, the people must continue to work as a team, do research on new ways of working as a team and adopt new technology in the process.

Generally, the concept of COME, which was introduced 10 years ago, has also brought some changes in the attitude of the people towards employment. For example if all young people want to be employed as clerks, as happened in the 60s and 70s, they are likely to be very frustrated now. With the Internet on line, the clerks, whose primary task is to record particulars, have increasingly become redundant now with, for example, an office boy in Kapit can get what ever particulars that the department needs through internet or E-mail.

 In other words, the old practices of recoding details by clerks have increasingly becoming obsolete. Besides, more new ways of doing things are being introduced as we must keep up to date with positive changes. Generally, once we can adapt ourselves to changes we should be able to anticipate new opportunities, which will motivate up to move to new places like    Bintulu, Kapit, and other places where our skills or expertise can be utilised to do works that we have been trained to do.

Before the local people only formed about 3% of the workforce in the professional group but now they form about 12% of them.  Though it is quite a good achievement but still insufficient with new jobs coming up. At one time 75% of the workforce were involved in agriculture and mining. Now only 28% remain in the agriculture and mining sectors. Those, who have acquired some skills in the sub-professional group, have increased substantially and those with professional qualifications are being encouraged to come up with new ideas on matters relating to management, product investment and the capability to develop our own technology on research and development.

Obviously, the State must aim to become more advanced in producing bio-products as the foundation of the development of pharmaceutical industry. Besides, it must also aim to become more advanced in producing quality flour from the sago industry, processing Halal food products, which can be exported to the world market, the Islamic countries in particular.  The state needs to produce people with diverse skills and expertise to develop Tanjung Manis as Halal hub in order to have advantages in selling products to muslim countries.  With the anticipation of more opportunities coming up, the people must try to adapt ourselves to changes and the requirements for qualification, skills and expertise.

Undoubtedly, the development of SCORE challenges the people to equip themselves with necessary knowledge and skills through education and skill trainings in order to become knowledge workers. Therefore, the people, from leaders down to the grass roots, must have the attitude, desire and determination to become K-workers, which is the hallmark of hi-tech society or developed society.

benuasains

 *Photos Source: google.com images  

                   http://mnskuching.blogspot.com/ 

 

Video Interview With Cornell Ombuds

Cornell has posted a lengthy interview with Linda Falkson, who has served as Assistant Ombudsman for 2½ years. The 19 minute video covers a wide range of topics including Falkson's career path and personal interests, the ethical tenets of her practice, the history of Cornell's Ombuds Office, and the types of cases she handled.

Falkson explains the aspects of informality and neutrality, but stresses confidentiality as the major tenet of her work. She says, "We ought not exist unless we honor confidentiality." Prior to joining the Cornell Ombuds Office, Falkson was a local prosecutor and then worked for a decade in the office of student judicial affairs. (CornellCast.)

Related: Job Posting.

Need for coordinating body for Federal, State agencies

In a developing country like ours, we cannot afford a situation that does not move on the ground and that we remain a stagnant society with the stationary economy.  Basically, the Federal and State agencies, which have been tasked to implement the development policies and programs must work harder to transform the traditional society to become a more successful, modern and progressive society to befit our status as people of a developed nation towards the year 2020.

Essentially, the Federal and state departments or agencies must work closely together to achieve the best results for the people. Perhaps, the Federal departments or agencies may also consider appointing more representatives to monitor the implementation of rural development projects and others. Understandably, the State government is open and willing to cooperate fully with the Federal departments and agencies as a new way of development for the future.

Quite obviously the Federal and State departments are beginning to make conscientious efforts in working together in the services of the people, those in rural areas in particular, the State and country. Understandably, the Federal government does not have many channels in implementing development policies and programs in Sarawak.  However, there have been some realization at the top level of the Federal service on the importance of having proper coordination between the Federal and State departments or agencies in implementing the Federal Government’s polices and programs in the state. 

However, Education department, though a big department, finds problems to achieve its objective in improving the educational standard in the State, in the rural areas in particular. Understandably, the State Government has assured the Ministry of Education that its machinery is open for them to use for programs and activities of the department. Perhaps, the Ministry and the state authority should consider setting up a coordinating agency to bring about greater cooperation between them especially in dispensing the financial allocations for development projects in the State.  

 In this respect, the federal government can supervise any expenditure by its representatives in the state.  As a matter of policy, the state government does not connive any irresponsible spending of money being allocated to the state for development.  It has installed sufficient supervisory machinery from internal audit all the way to the public accounts committee to ensure that allocation is being spent to meet its objective.

 However, the strategy for implementing the development programs must take into consideration the prevailing conditions of Sarawak.  The history of Sarawak has forced it to develop slightly different from Peninsular Malaysia. The State cannot change overnight nor can it change the ways to run the state because it  has to be effective in recognizing the differences in situations in Sarawak and those in Peninsular Malaysia.

Besides, the State must also realize that all future development in Sarawak will be dependent increasingly on initiatives of the private sector. The development will rely more and more on market forces though they cannot be open to the full because of the scattered population. The state still has very small population as compared with those in Peninsular Malaysia.  The State has to create critical mass before it can initiate economic development to overcome the problem of the scattered population. 

The State’s success in implementing the development policies is attributable to the ability of political leaders and members of the civil service to lead the people in a big move towards the sustainable economic development of the rural areas. An area can be developed into a critical mass once it can have a population of at least 5,000 people, which can be considered as a viable size community. 

Understandably, the federal government tends to take the bigger chunk of the power than the state government but the later relates to the requirement of people on the ground.  The 3^rd category of power, as stated in the constitution, is the concurrent power, where the state government can play a role like in the administrative implementation of development projects. Such power must be given to the state primarily to ensure sure that the implementation machinery can be strengthened and functioning efficiently.  This is based on the age or wisdom in the evolution of the federation like Canada, America and Australia, just to name a few.

Efficient delivery system

 Essentially, the State must develop the delivery systems that can benefit the  people.  More importantly, the empowerment in the lower strata of the administration must be made possible as more money have to be spent in order to accelerate the pace of development for the people, state and country. In a developing country like ours, we cannot afford a situation that does not move on the ground and that we remain a stagnant society with the stationary economy. 

Basically, we must work harder to transform our traditional society to become a more successful, modern and progressive society. Understandably, capacity building forms a very important part of the state’s transformation towards the year 2020 and beyond.  For this reason, the State has to build more training institutions, set up another skill development centre and generally upgrade the standard of education in the state. The State has a plan to engage foreign consultants to study how it can generally upgrade the skills of the people in the state.  In other words, the State is leveling itself based on the manpower requirements in the preparation for SCORE, which is capable of creating 1.5 million jobs for the people by the year 2020 and beyond.   Now, the State has a workforce of one million people. It is projected that the State will have one and half times more workforce with the development of SCORE.

It will take huge number of people to transform the countryside, now grossly under-developed, to bring it to the mainstream of development.  Perhaps, the development of the central region may not be able take off without having a huge undertaking, which emphasizes on an integrated approach, like the development of SCORE. Initially, the State may have to recruit foreign workers to do some of the jobs, those in the lower ranks in particular, as being done in the Middle East and other fast developing countries.

There will be shortages not only of professionals but also skilled workers.  Therefore, the State must start to train more local people, based on rezoning to the business skills, to take over from foreigners in the future.  With that kind of picture the government must have the right aptitude in managing the workforce.  However, the State government has been realistic in the assessment of the manpower requirements of the State. 

Generally members of the civil service, regardless of whether they are Ibans, Chinese, Malays, Melanau, Bidayuh or whoever, have the tradition of working together in the services of the people, state and country.  Any Head of Department, if he is good in his work, earns the respect of the leadership of the government that upholds professionalism even in the choice of talents whether in the public or private sectors.

The process of capacity building requires members a civil service to be open minded to views including those from people, who may not view the civil service favorably.   Sometimes, it is not that easy but they have been doing it in Sarawak; that is one thing working in our favor.  Our administration is also flexible and able to recognize problems.  That is the strength of a growing administration. 

Understandably, the State government has a master plan for re-organization and expansion of the public sector.  It may engage experts or people, who have the knowledge or the track record of being able to lead in the expansion of our capability.  This is part and parcel of a global world.  The State must follow all the good things in globalization to equip ourselves to rise to the occasion.

In this respect, the State civil service must continue to be open to changes and making the necessary preparations to face the future with greater confidence. After the year 2010, the State should be able to see greater interactions between the civil service and the private sector in the common pursuit for greater progress and advancement towards the year 2020 and beyond. The common  ambition is to raise the level of development and change in the structure of the economy, through the implementation of SCORE, towards the year 2030 and beyond.

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