Kota Kinabalu: The true measure of success for Budget Madani 2027 hinges on tangible outcomes that directly benefit the public, rather than just the sheer scale of the financial allocation, says Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) senior lecturer Assoc Prof Dr Oscar Dousin (pic).
Speaking to Daily Express on Saturday, the Business, Economics and Accountancy Faculty academic stressed that the civil service must adopt an outcome-based management approach with clear performance indicators and timelines to avoid merely focusing on project spending or physical delivery.
He urged the government to aggressively implement digital transformation, artificial intelligence (AI), and cross-agency coordination to eliminate bureaucratic red tape and enhance public sector efficiency.
Oscar noted that while large human capital allocations—including RM8 billion for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (Tvey) and RM3 billion via HRD Corp—are vital to upskill workers in AI and digital literacy, real success must be evaluated through employability rates, productivity, and net income growth rather than headcount figures alone.
Touching on Sabah, he said the State Government must capitalise on its increased federal development allocation of RM18.7 billion by tailoring training to strategic sectors such as tourism and modern agriculture to curb brain drain, while also welcoming the permanent absorption of over 9,000 contract doctors to retain medical personnel in rural areas.
