Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is now universally accepted as a strategic technology for businesses and government. Organizations need to adopt and incorporate ICT in their products and services and into their supply and delivery channels in order to remain effective and competitive in the current and future networked world. The Sarawak State Government has long recognized the importance of ICT, and has implemented it widely and aggressively. This has led to the State Civil Service to be among the leading users of ICT in the country. However, in order to further build upon the State Public Service’s utilization of ICT, the State Government recognized that the Chief Executive Office of the State Public Service, i.e., the State Secretary, be directly involved in setting ICT policies and directions and to plan and monitor its ICT program. The ICT Unit was formed for this purpose, i.e., to assist the State Secretary manage and regulate ICT and digital content development and utilization in the State Public Service.

The ICT Unit was established under the Chief Minister’s Department in April 2001. The State Cabinet approved the establishment of the ICT Unit in November 2000.

The ICT Unit is responsible for the management and regulation of ICT and digital content development in the State Public Service. It is responsible for the development of policies, objectives, strategies and standards in the development of ICT and digital content, and for coordinating and monitoring the development and implementation of ICT programs in the State Public Service.

The ICT Unit has three Sections. The first section, the Planning Section is responsible for coordinating the development of the State’s ICT plans, for monitoring the development and implementation of the State’s ICT projects, for managing the State’s ICT budget, and for developing and maintaining the standards and guidelines for ICT and information planning. This section also provides secretariat services to the State IT and Resources Council (SITRC) and the State IT and Resources Architecture Committee (ITRAC).

The second section, the State Geo-Spatial Center is responsible for developing, implementing, coordinating and monitoring the develop-ment and implementation of geographical information system (GIS) and remote sensing programs for the State Public Service. It is also responsible for the development, maintenance and administration a centralized GIS database for the State Public Sector.

The third section, the Electronic Government (EG) Section is responsible for coordinating the development, administration and usage of the Sarawak GovNet and the State Government Internet user accounts, for developing and maintaining the State ICT security framework, and for coordinating the development of Sarawak Government web sites. The EG Section also coordinates the development and implementation of Federal EG projects in the State.

The Director of the ICT Unit is the Secretary of the SITRC, and is the Chief Information Officer of the State Government. The Head of the Planning Section is the Secretary of ITRAC, and the Head of Electronic Government Section is the State ICT Security Officer.

The establishment of the ICT Unit in the CMD is the next step in the State Government’s program to pervasively introduce and apply ICT in the State Public Service. With the active involvement of the State Secretary in such initiatives through the ICT Unit, the State Government is confident that there will be quantum qualitative and quantitative improvements in the State Public Service.

The Director of the ICT Unit is En. William Patrick Nyigor. En. Austin Dimin heads the State Geo-spatial Center, En. Awang Johari heads the Electronic Government Section, and Puan Zahrah Abang Othman heads the Planning Section. The Unit is located at the 4th Floor, Wisma Bapa Malaysia. It can be contacted as follows:

Email:

director.ict@sarawaknet.gov.my

Telephone: 082-447584,

082-492750

Facsimile: 082-449002