Kota Kinabalu: The future of local governance in Sabah is expected to be characterised by efforts to enhance autonomy, embrace digital transformation, promote sustainability and ensure inclusiveness and participation, said Deputy Chief Minister II Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam.
He said by addressing these areas, Sabah can build a resilient, equitable and prosperous future for its communities and the effectiveness of these efforts will depend on continuous collaboration between local authorities, the Federal Government, the private sector and the citizens of Sabah.
The State Local Government and Housing Minister said good governance depends on the ability to take responsibility for both the administration and the people.
“Governance procedures are most effective when they are participatory, responsible, transparent, efficient, inclusive and adhere to the rule of law,” he said, Thursday.
He said this when officiating at the seminar on The Future of Local Governance: Trends and Transformations here, organised by the Institute for Development Studies (Sabah) (IDS) and Konrad Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS).
Dr Joachim said his Ministry, together with other ministries, departments and agencies, aims to enhance the effectiveness of local governance, improving housing conditions and ensuring sustainable and inclusive development across the State.
Through these initiatives, he said, the Ministry seeks to create a better living environment for all residents and at the same time promote the overall socio-economic development of Sabah.
“As part of the Government effort towards achieving SMJ aspiration, the idea of establishing Smart Cities in popular locations in Sabah has been seriously undertaken since 2021. The initiative to create digital economy ecosystems that would benefit the local communities has been the top priority,” he said.
He said Smart Sabah Corporation Sdn Bhd was appointed under the purview of the Chief Minister Department to oversee the initiative towards digitalisation of Sabah.
“Last year, a collaboration between the State Government and Huawei Technologies was sealed to initiate the implementation of digital services for the Government, businesses and the community,” he added.
Dr Joachim said he believes the purpose of the seminar is to understand, share knowledge and exchange information on how local governance trends and transformation will take place in the future.
