Sarawak Economic Development Corporation

15/03/2008

SEDC signs MoC for integrity

Dr. Pro Micic giving talk of Future Management

FUTURE MANAGEMENT: Talib (seated right, front row) listens as Micic (left) stresses a point during his talk. Seated at front row (from left) are Angkatan Zaman Mansang chief executive officer Datuk Aloysius Dris, Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Communication permanent secretary Datu Wan Kassim Tuanku Zubir and Sarawak Rivers Board chairman Dr Stephen Rundi Utom. - Photo by Jeffery Mostapa

KUCHING: Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) yesterday signed a Memorandum of Collaboration (MoC) with Transparency International Malaysia to promote integrity and prevent corruption in SEDC.

The collaboration outlined areas of partnership to promote greater integrity, transparency, accountability and ethics in business and other professions.

?We are working with Transparency International as they are famous for this sort of effort worldwide and this is a good opportunity for us to reinforce what we are doing,? said SEDC chairman Datuk Talib Zulpilip after attending a management talk at Crown Plaza Hotel, Kuching yesterday.

Citing a good example of transparency within SEDC, Talib said they had established a practice many years ago that those participating in tendering of contracts would have to sign an agreement stating that that they would not influence or bribe anybody in SEDC to get the contracts.

?I was informed by the Auditor-General that we are the first government body to do that, and on signing this integrity pact with Transparency International Malaysia today, I was told that we are the first governmental organisation to do so,? he said.

?The results are proven. Out of the six projects we had over the years in the state, all are implemented below contract cost. We don?t have any cost overrun,? said Talib.

?It starts from good planning to good monitoring and good implementation and there was no hanky-panky so this can effectively reduce cost.

?So that is the net result and I am happy that we have managed to do this,? he said.

According to Transparency International Malaysia treasurer Richard Wong, the purpose of the MoC was to effectively put in place structures to eliminate corruption by advocating and promoting accountability, transparency and integrity in all business dealings and transactions, and to also create a culture of intolerance towards corruption.

?It also seeks to build institutional integrity in both SEDC and the private sector,? he added.

Wong said the key areas identified were renewed commitments to transparency, accountability and good governance in their daily operations and having a code of conduct for ethics and good corporate governance.

Developed by Transparency International, the Integrity Pact is a tool aimed at preventing corruption in public tendering. It consists of a process that includes an agreement between a government (or its department) and any bidder of a public contract.

It contains rights and obligations to the effect that neither side will pay, offer, demand, or accept bribes; collude with competitors to obtain the contract; or engage in such abuses while carrying out the contract.

It also introduces a monitoring system that provides independent overseeing and accountability.

Meanwhile, SEDC corporate marketing director Gabriel E. Blassan said the management talk was aimed at finding new ways and ideas to improve management of government departments and agencies.

It was attended by about 200 people including heads of government departments and agencies, SEDC management staff and its subsidiaries.

?We have invited all government departments and agencies to this talk and this is the first one this year. We will be organising more such talks,? said Gabriel, adding that they hoped to apply the methods and ideas learned to SEDC management.

The talk ?Can We Really Manage the Future? was conducted by Future Management AG chairman Dr Pero Micic whose mission is to help top leaders in business, politics and administration to see more of the future than their counterparts.

Micic is a consultant to management teams and experts of many of the world?s leading companies.

He helps them to systematically elaborate and analyse future scenarios, to perceive and to seize future opportunities at a very early point and to turn their knowledge into strategic and financial success.

Taken From:

Borneo Post, Saturday, March 15, 2008 by Ting Tieng Hee