Govt agencies urged to end silo work, embrace synergy
Chief Secretary to the Government (KSN) Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar said the outdated 'exclusive agency' approach must be abandoned, as real strength lies in the ability of all parties to work together in synergy.
'In the face of increasingly complex social challenges, we can no longer operate in silos. We must shift from a culture of exclusive agencies to one of collaborative systems.
'This is the foundation for social strengthening, and the true strength does not lie in who holds the most power, but in how far we can move forward together,' he said in his opening speech at the Social Synergy Congress 2025 here today.
Also present were the Ministry of Human Resources secretary-general Datuk Azman Mohd Yusof, Director-General of the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) of the Prime Minister's Department (JPM) Datuk Seri Sollehuddin Alyubi Zakaria and the Social Security Organisation (PERKESO) Group Chief Executive Officer Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed.
Shamsul Azri emphasised that effective government governance must be built on a strong ethical and cultural foundation, cautioning against administrative processes that become hollow routines devoid of human values.
'Without noble values in governance, processes are merely empty routines, lacking soul and spirit. At the same time, a culture without a system risks leading our efforts astray.
'Therefore, culture and process must go hand in hand. We must combine the spirit of humanity with systematic efficiency...this is the true space for a better, more meaningful administration,' he added.
Citing ICU eKasih statistics, Shamsul Azri revealed that as of Dec 31 last year, more than 390,000 heads of households had been categorised as poor, including nearly 1,800 classified as hardcore poor.
He expressed confidence that the collaborative approach involving 117 agencies and 862 community leaders nationwide can ensure greater outreach and more effective assistance to those in need.
Meanwhile, Mohammed Azman, in his speech, urged PERKESO officers to be more proactive by going to the ground to identify and reach out to eligible contributors and their beneficiaries, ensuring the timely delivery of social protection.
He said the Social Synergy Program, developed by PERKESO in 2017, was created to eradicate poverty and improve household income by ensuring that no one eligible for assistance, especially within the B40 group, is left behind.
'We want to ensure that when tragedy strikes, the first person to knock on a grieving family's door is not a debt collector, but PERKESO, bringing social justice and support in times of hardship,' he said.
The Social Synergy 2025 Congress, now in its third edition, attracted over 400 participants.
This year's theme, 'Culture or Process', explored the importance of merging human-centred values with an efficient delivery system to build a more compassionate and capable governance framework. - Bernama
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