Major shift at Sarawak’s top civil service

KUCHING: There is a major shift involving some of the state’s top civil servants.

Moving up the ladder to take over from deputy State Secretary’s post from Datu Ismawi Ismuni is Datu Abu Bakar Marzuki, 54. Ismawi has been appointed the new chief executive officer of Regional Corridor Development Authority (Recoda) replacing Tan Sri Datuk Amar Wilson Baya Dandot whose contract has expired.

According to a source, replacing Abu Bakar as the director of State Planning Unit (SPU) is Buckland Bangik, also 54.

Prior to his latest appointment, Buckland was permanent secretary to the Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development. Before that, Buckland was SPU deputy director.

SPU is one of the departments under the Chief Minister’s Department. Most of its past directors have been promoted to deputy state secretaries and subsequently as state secretaries.

Taking over from Buckland at the Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land Regional Development is Datu Ik Pahon Joyik.

Ik’s former post at the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports has been taken over by former Sibu Resident Hii Chang Kee.

The source also revealed that Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu and Limbang will have a new Resident each.

For Kuching, the new Resident will be former director of State Islamic Department, Ismail Hanis, taking over from Shukarmin Chasemon.

For Sibu, Charles Siaw, the former principal assistant director of the State’s Entrepreneur Development Department, is taking over from Hii.

Bintulu will have a new Resident in the person of Jack Aman. Jack takes over from Mohd Yukub Kari. In Limbang, Ahmad Denny has been promoted to replace Datu Maria Hasnan who has retired.

On a related development, Limbang deputy Resident Selamat Jati Yanjah has been promoted to head the newly-created Northern Regional Development Agency, which falls under the ambit of Recoda.