| Lyna Mohamad |
HIS Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam yesterday consented to grace the 25th Civil Service Day celebration at the Plenary Hall of the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Berakas.
Accompanying His Majesty was His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Mateen and Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Masna, the Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Upon arrival, His Majesty were greeted by Special Advisor to His Majesty and Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Bakti Diraja Dato Laila Utama Haji Awang Isa bin Pehin Datu Perdana Manteri Dato Laila Utama Haji Awang Ibrahim, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy Dr Haji Abdul Manaf bin Haji Metussin, and Permanent Secretary (Corporate Affairs and Public Administration) at the Prime Minister’s Office Haji Roslan bin Haji Taja’ah.
The celebration began with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah, led by State Mufti Pehin Datu Seri Maharaja Dato Paduka Seri Setia (Dr) Ustaz Haji Awang Abdul Aziz bin Juned.
This was followed by the recitation of verses from Surah Al-Anfal by Haji Mohammad Albi bin Haji Ibrahim, the Head of the International and Religious Council of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore (MABIMS) Division at the Ministry of Religious Affairs; and the interpretation, read by Haji Abdul Aziz bin Haji Abdul Ghani, a Mosque Affairs Officer.
The event continued with a welcoming address by Haji Roslan, in his capacity as the Chairman of the Executive Committee for the 25th Civil Service Day Celebrations.
In his speech, the permanent secretary described the Public Sector Performance Grading (3PSA) and Civil Servant Special Appreciation Award (PKKPA) programmes as efforts in enhancing the efficiency of work performance, well as the delivery, productivity and quality of service.
He also announced the introduction of the PKKPA award for this year’s celebrations, as a special recognition for Division V employees.
Among the objectives of the award is to appreciate the efforts and contribution of Division V staff who also play a vital role in ensuring the smooth running within the civil service and in all ministries.
Following the delivery of His Majesty’s titah, the ceremony proceeded with the presentation of two videos showcasing the types of awards that were presented at the ceremony.
The first video highlighted 3PSA, which is an instrument used by the Management Services Department (MSD) to measure the performance of government agencies, thus enabling recognition and appreciation for performance excellence with the use of star ratings.
The second video, meanwhile, featured two awards – the award for Excellent Civil Service Employee Award APCPA and the PKKPA.
His Majesty then consented to present the awards and certificates to the recipients of the 3PSA, APCPA and the PKKPA awards.
The APCPA award was received by 49 government officers from 13 ministries comprising staff in Divisions II, III, IV and V, who each received a plaque, a certificate and BND1,000 in cash.
The main goal of the APCPA is to recognise and appreciate civil servants who have shown excellence in work performance, hoping that this will motivate other civil service members to strive for excellence in performing their work.
Meanwhile, 10 civil service employees were presented with the PKKPA award, with each receiving a trophy, a medal, a certificate and BND1,000 in cash.
One of the objectives for this special award is to showcase the outstanding individuals whose special qualities are portrayed in their line of work, as well as an acknowledgement of Division V employees whose roles and responsibilities are unfamiliar to the public.
The event concluded with a Doa recited by the State Mufti, following which His Majesty and members of the royal family then consented to join the 3PSA, APCPA and the PKKPA award recipients for a photo session.
The triennial theme, ‘Transformation towards a Progressive Civil Service’, reiterates the government’s pursuit of a transformed civil service that strives towards surpassing expectations in complying with the needs of the public, especially in delivering government policies that endeavour towards achieving Brunei Vision 2035.