in the Master of Policy Sciences programme
To delve deeper into the Master of Policy Sciences programme, RAKAN Sarawak spoke to three of the students who signed up for the programme, to learn about their experience. The three government officers interviewed were Encik Azmi bin Haji Bujang from Lundu District Office, who is also the group leader of the programme; Encik Abdullah bin Julaihi from Land and Survey Department; and Puan Sharifah Zakiah binti Tuanku Haji Pauzi from the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Communication.
RAKAN Sarawak : Can you tell us a bit about how this Masters Programme works?
Encik Azmi bin Haji Bujang (AB) : This is a part-time programme made up of 12 modules that runs over the course of two years. It consists of 20 contact hours or lecture hours, with one presentation, one assignment and one exam for each module. Classes are conducted over weekends from 9:00am to 5:00pm. Each module starts with a lecture, and at the end of each lecture, assignments will be given out. Two weeks later the group will meet again for their group presentation. Then, two weeks after that everyone will come back to sit for the exam and turn in their assignments. There will also be some tutorial time coordinated between the students and the tutor for our batch, YBhg Datu Abdul Ghafur bin Shariff.
: What is your perception on the programme?
AB : I always have this mantra; ‘Begin with the end in mind’. When I signed up for this programme, my vision was that I will be graduating in the next two years. So I am ready to commit myself to the programme and take up the challenge. It is also to set an example for the other staff. If I can do it, others can do it as well. The first two modules are great. It is really applicable to what we are doing in the Civil Service and I believe this course has been specifically-designed to meet the requirements of the State.
Encik Abdullah Julaihi (AJ) : Anything related to learning is always good and the objective of learning is very important. I had a good perception of this programme because it helps to equip and formalise your knowledge, so that the theory and implementation part can come together.
Puan Sharifah Zakiah (SZ) : When it comes to policy, my first impression is that it is a very dry topic. But people around me – my classmates, lecturers, tutor and colleagues have all been very supportive and friendly, and it helps to make the class a lot more interesting.
: What has been the highlight of this programme for you so far?
AB : As civil servants, we are the front liners; the implementers. Over the years, I have been with different ministries and departments. Sometimes, I am at the policy level and now I am in the implementation level. So, when we go for classes like this, it kind of puts things together. Because now we are looking at the theoretical part of policymaking and the theoretical part of policy implementation. And these theories equip us with all the necessary knowledge and skills that we could use to improve our performance as civil servants.
During the course, we are also exposed to a number of international journals from the USA, UK, Australia and Europe that updates us on the latest policies and implementations in different countries. With the mix of these ideas, it can enrich our knowledge and of course the service in general. When it comes to assignments, we were asked to quote examples from Sarawak or Malaysia, so we try to apply the theoretical aspects of policies and how the policies in Sarawak or Malaysia comply with all these theoretical aspects. Sometimes it applies nicely, but sometimes it needs further tuning. It is like what a friend said before; “policy is dynamic and sometimes theory also evolved, so the making of policies or implementation sometimes changed, as well.” Altogether, it is a good exercise.
AJ : When we talk about policies, we are looking into the social aspect of the people and the economy affecting the people of Sarawak. Though the theory part of the course is based on writings from abroad, most examples given are based on local cases. With that, it is easier for us to relate to the design of policies; how implementation and monitoring is done; and also the evaluation method to see if the policies have achieved their objective and given benefit to the people.
SZ : In preparing for our assignments, we have to relate it to our own work in the office as to how the policy can be implemented. Sometimes, in order to get more information I have to do a lot of reading, go through paper work, conduct visibility studies and go down to the ground to interview people. While going through all these, the process actually helps to polish up my soft skills like improving my English language, communication and presentation skills.
: Any ideas yet on the topic for your thesis paper?
AJ: Basically, I would like to talk about the implementation of policy towards development, not only in relation to land, but how land can become an asset to the people in improving their lives and also improve on educating the people. Now people talk about policies to eradicate poverty, and to me what is most important in eradicating poverty is education. Once you have education, then you can learn more on how to develop your land, maximise the profit from it and look at how you can prevent your generation from falling into the poverty trap.
SZ : For now, I would like to focus on social and gender problems that can be tackled by the State government, which is more beneficial to our future generations.
: Picking up ideas from the programme, what are the things you would like to improve or change in your organisation?
AB : At the District Office, we are the front-liners, not so much on making policies; we are strictly implementers. So the best approach that can be done now is to be sensitive to the needs of the people and to allow more bottom-up information to reach our stakeholders.
AJ : When we talk about land development, there is always a lot more improvement to be understand the policy. The implementation part needs to meet the needs of the people, and the policy part needs to achieve the objective of the development of Sarawak.
SZ: Our ministry focuses on infrastructure projects and riverine facilities. By having good infrastructure, it will also contribute to the social aspect of the community. In the new Civil Service, we have to get the public to participate, respond and give feedback for us to improve the policies, so that we can develop further for the betterment of the new generation.
