Najib: Innovation, creativity guide index for TN50

Prime Minister Najib Razak calls for more effective civil service in the interest and prosperity of the people, at event celebrating public sector achievements.

PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Najib Razak said the government will create a creativity and innovation index as a guide to achieve National Transformation 2050 (TN50).

He said the index would become one of the thrusts to empower Malaysia as one of the top 20 nations in the world in the long term.

He pointed out that innovation and creativity were important for any organisation, company or nation so that it would not lag behind in the increasingly competitive world.

Giving an example, he said a giant telephone company at one time, Nokia had been overtaken and the telecommunications market was now being dominated by smartphones such as Apple, Samsung and Huawei.

“This shows that only companies that adopt innovation will succeed in the increasingly competitive market.

“The same goes for a government. We have to deliver government service in a good and more effective manner in the interest and prosperity of the people.

“In the present situation of financial constraints due to external factors, we have to accept the fact. We must not complain and point fingers, on the contrary, we should consider it as a challenge.

“How we can do more with less. Here lies our capability to enculture innovation in our organisation, I am confident we can do more with less,” he said.

He said this at the Prime Minister’s Award for Innovation (AIPM) and Public Sector Innovation Award (AISA) night here. Also present was the chief secretary to the government Ali Hamsa.

Najib said the AIPM and AISA had encouraged the public sector to continue to develop innovation as a culture.

The Malacca state government was announced as the AIPM winner and received a cash prize of RM1 million and a trophy, while second place went to the Social Security Organisation (Socso), which received a cash prize of RM300,000 and a certificate, and in third place was the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) which received RM200,000 and a certificate.

At the event, Najib handed over the trophy and cheque to Malacca Chief Minister Idris Haron.

For AISA 2016, the Public Service Department won the Information and Communication Technology Innovation Award while the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council won the Local Authorities Innovation Award.

Meanwhile, the Kemaman District and Land Office was the sole winner of the District and Land Administration Innovation Award.

Each winner for the AISA category wins a cash prize of RM150,000 for the first place, RM100,000 for second place and RM50,000 for the third place together with a trophy and certificate of appreciation each. -FMT