KUCHING: Digital funding under the 13^th Malaysia Plan (13MP) will be approved, released and sustained based on results achieved.
 
Deputy Sarawak Secretary (Operation) Datu Hii Chang Kee said digital projects under the 13MP will be governed by Result-Based Budgeting (RBB), with assessments extending beyond plans submitted or systems procured. 
 
“This means funding approval will be tied to clearly defined outcomes, key performance indicators (KPIs) and service delivery targets. 
 
“Budget releases will be phased and performance-based, while continued funding is conditional upon compliance and demonstrated progress,” he said.
 
He said this during the Engagement Session on the Coordination of the Implementation of Digital Projects by Sarawak Government Agencies under the 13MP organised by the Sarawak Civil Service Digitalisation Unit (SCSDU), here on Thursday. 
 
Datu Hii who is also Chief Digital Officer of the Sarawak Government stressed that under the 13MP, digitalisation is no longer optional, experimental, or agency specific – it is a core requirement of public sector delivery. 
 
Therefore, he reminded that projects which fail to demonstrate business process simplification, duplicate platforms or bypass Whole-of-Government solutions, or fall short of agreed milestones, outcome indicators or reporting requirements may have their approved funding suspended, reduced or withdrawn in line with RBB principles and governance reviews. 
 
Under the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 and the Sarawak Digital Economy Strategy (SDE) 2030, Datu Hii said the state government has adopted clear, phased digitalisation targets that now serve as RBB outcome benchmarks, with at least 50 per cent of government services targeted to be delivered digitally by 2025, rising to 80 per cent by 2027, and reaching 100 per cent of suitable services by 2030.
 
“These targets will be used to assess project approvals, continuation, reallocation of budgets and agency performance under the 13MP.
 
“For context, the Sarawak Government has established a baseline of 1,106 public-facing government services. As of December 2025, 60.4 per cent of these services are available online. 
 
“While this reflects encouraging progress, it also reinforces the urgency for stronger execution discipline and consistent delivery across agencies,” he noted. 
 
Also present were SCSDU Director and Organising Chairperson Datu Grace Huong Siew Hung as well as Heads of Departments. -UKASnews