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Time certainty, sensitivity and Sabah’s econ
Published on: Sunday, January 03, 2021
By: Datuk John Lo
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Sabah has little sense of the value of time.

We Sabahans have been consumed with admiration heaped upon us by non-Sabahans. I have heard too many times that our Sabah is the best, best in racial harmony, best in religious acceptance, best in environmental protection, the list goes on. While these may be true, we have stagnated and locked ourselves in an economic-development time capsule, drunk with these praises and oblivious to our pervasive rural/urban poverty and stunted economic growth. Why do I say this? Cos Sabahans have accepted them incompliantly as our fate, cos our politicians don’t consider them serious enough for them to raise hell in public, in Legislative Assembly and Parliament. It is as if we Sabahans are living in perpetual paradise bliss where time stands still, time is irrelevant, the time has no cost, time is not precious. Life goes on peacefully and slowly like a snail. Talking about time, I like to deal with 2 aspects of time that hardly exist in Sabah. Time certainty and time sensitivity.

What is Time Certainty?


We know what time is. Time-Certainty can be defined in a simple term as “the quality or state of being certain especially on the basis of time-related evidence”.

What is Time Sensitivity

Time Sensitivity can be likened to a product, document, information or service that is useful for only a limited amount of time. Thereafter, they can either be useless, depreciated or can incur extra cost/penalty in not being able to meet a deadline.

Adherence of time certainty and time sensitivity.

The ability of adherence to time certainty and time sensitivity has a direct linkage to economic development progress in a country. In a society where time is immaterial or not taken seriously or does not consider time as a cost, economic development can only happen slowly if at all. Such a society will suffer from low income and productivity, low level of economic activities. Everyone is happy, not under pressure. Undertaking sophisticated or large projects will be impossible. High tech which is all out efficiency and precision, is out of the question. 

In an economically advance country, everything is scheduled/organised according to pre-set time. For example, public transport like trains and business have to keep to time. In Japan and China, where high-speed rail is used extensively, a minute late is considered to be serious.

Delays, snail-pace decisions and approvals like those commonly found in Sabah, are very costly.

Sabah is laggard in time certainty and time sensitivity.


Only in UTC and the Land and Survey Department is there some semblance of time certainty and time sensitivity. Our public transport of minibuses is a complete total disorganised chaos. I understand that there are several hundred minibuses running in KK, completely and utterly disorganised in as far as time is concerned. No way anyone can ascertain departures or arrivals. The drivers of these minibuses can earn better income or better working conditions if their working environment is more organised. 

Common to find government offices with no service because officers go for morning or afternoon coffee breaks. Great inconvenience is caused to the public when an officer goes on leave or go out of the office. Then service will stop and will resume only when this particular officer returns. 

Worse when a written reply is required. There is no schedule for government departments/agencies to response or reply. Chasing or begging for a reply is common.

Federal departments are no better. Almost every little thing has to be referred to KL.

Trying to obtain development approval is a totally different ball game of frustration, patience, begging and run-around! One can write a book about it. Suffice to state here that it is a jungle out there!

Building time certainty and time sensitivity into the government administration system can be the best eliminator of corruption. Undue delays are probably the greatest cause of corruption.

Embracing Time Certainty and Time Sensitivity policy can expedite economic development.


Imagine when there is a higher degree of time certainty and time sensitivity in our government system and society [a] Where members of the public can be served promptly, decisions and approvals can be granted within a decent pre-set time, not in years. [b] Where kampong folks do not need to return time and again to seek for the simplest documents/endorsements. [c] Where files do not disappear and you need not pay “coffee money” to locate it or to shift it from one officer to the next. [d] Where you need not be told repeatedly to come back.

Sabah can be real heaven on earth if, in addition to our racial and religious harmony, we have time certainty and time sensitivity as well. Our productivity will increase tremendously and our economic progress can speed up and there is less “induced delay” corruption.

Time certainty and time sensitivity can be a powerful empowerment policy.


The opportune time is now when Sabah’s KSN DSP Safar has a keen eye on the use of high tech. Land and Survey is the best testimony. He has transformed this department beyond recognition. Examples—-Information that the public needed days and months to retrieve is now available on your mobile. Copy of titles can be gotten within 2 days. There is definitely a heightened sense of time certainty and time sensitivity now.

Of the more than 30k government officers in Sabah, most are dedicated and hard-working. I am certain they will embrace system changes to improve quality of service. The staff in the Land and Survey Department is a good example.

Government adoption and implementation of time certainty and time sensitivity as a policy can be a powerful transformation initiative to reform its administration. Furthermore, it will give a major recovery boost to our economy and will yield political confidence and support. They cost little to implement but the returns on this investment are huge. Majority of government officers will be happy; the public will be happy too. Above all, the private sector will jump for joy because of the increase in productivity and convenience. The whole economy will benefit.

A new sense of confidence and renewed faith in government will permeate among Sabahans.

Time certainty and time sensitivity can be a powerful empowerment policy for the Sabah government to adopt and implement.



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