Malaysia’s public sector must move beyond headcount and focus on workforce capabilities, including AI, data skills, leadership, innovation and integrity.
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia’s public sector must move away from treating staff shortages as the root of organisational problems and instead strengthen the capabilities of its existing workforce to meet future needs, Public Service Director-General (KPPA) Tan Sri Dr Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz said.
He said an organisation’s strength was no longer determined simply by the number of positions it had, but by the quality and capabilities of its workforce.
“Traditionally, workforce planning has focused on how many positions are needed, where they are needed and at what grades.
“I often hear that there are not enough positions. But to prepare for the future, we must stop viewing every problem as a consequence of limited headcount,” he said in his speech at the opening of the Public Sector Employment Symposium, themed “Exploring the Future of Public Sector Employment” here today.
The speech was delivered on his behalf by Deputy Public Service Director-General (Development) Datuk Dr Mohd Bakhari Ismail.
Wan Ahmad Dahlan said the public sector needed to take a more strategic, forward-looking approach, not only managing current staffing requirements but also identifying new roles and functions likely to emerge.
Talent management, he said, should shift from a position-based model to one centred on capabilities.
“Positions may change, organisational structures may change, and technology may change, but the ability to learn, adapt and create value will always remain relevant.
“This shift reflects a global move from job-based to skills-based organisations, where emphasis is placed on what the workforce can actually do,” he said.
In this regard, he suggested five critical capabilities that the Malaysian public sector needs to pay attention to, namely digital literacy and artificial intelligence (AI); analytical and data-driven thinking; leadership and change management; creative, innovative, and holistic thinking; and integrity, empathy, and human values.
The KPPA said digital and AI literacy went beyond knowing how to use technology as it also required public officers to integrate AI ethically to make public service delivery faster and more accurate.
“AI will not replace public officers. Instead, public officers who master AI will replace those who do not use it,” he said.
Nevertheless, the use of AI in the public sector must remain grounded in fairness, integrity, transparency, legal compliance and the public interest, he added.
Wan Ahmad Dahlan said the public sector of the future should also be proactive and predictive, data-driven, digital-first, people-centred and supported by strong ecosystem connectivity.
This, he said, would require public-sector work to move from silos to collaboration, from bureaucracy to agility, and from simply managing processes to creating value.
“Human resources managers could no longer focus solely on appointments, promotions, placements and administrative matters, but must evolve into strategic thinkers and architects of organisational talent.
“Talent development must be seen as a strategic national agenda, not merely a training and human resources agenda,” he added.
