JOHOR BARU: Hundreds of state civil servants are expected to benefit from a mix of long-term and short-term programmes including being sent to well-known Ivy League universities abroad based on huge allocations set aside for training and courses next year.
State secretary Datuk Asman Shah Abd Rahman (pic) said they were planning to collaborate with several Ivy League universities, including Harvard Business School and the United Kingdom’s Oxford and Imperial College London.
He said among the suitable postgraduate and executive programmes that were being focused covered areas such as public policy, urban management, digital government, finance and international relations.
“We are also looking at upskilling and reskilling programmes aligned to Johor’s economic priorities in the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) such as digital economy, green technology and advanced manufacturing.
“As for professional certifications, leadership and talent programmes under the Johor Talent Development ecosystem, we are looking at short courses, attachments and fellowships with international organisations or leading institutions,” he said, adding that all the training and courses would cover all levels of the state civil service.
Asman expressed his appreciation to Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi who announced during the state Budget 2026 that almost RM18mil had been set aside for civil service transformation, including RM10mil for collaboration efforts with the Ivy League universities, RM3mil for upskilling and reskilling programmes, RM2.96mil for officers to continue studies at local institutions of higher leaning, RM1mil for talent development of state civil servants and RM970,000 for diploma and certificate courses.
He also expressed his gratitude to His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, and Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim for their guidance.
Asman said that the selection of the officers for training would be based on an array of requirements, including merit and needs, performance record, competency, potential for leadership, alignment with Johor’s strategic sectors and integrity as well as commitment to continue serving the state after completing their studies.
“I have told my officers to prepare themselves early especially academically, in terms of language competency and in their day-to-day performance.
“They should also pay attention to how the chosen course will benefit Johor and not their curriculum-vitae,” he said, adding that those selected must treat this as a duty that whatever knowledge gained must be brought back to strengthen the service and benefit the people of Johor.
Asman also thanked the state government for giving another RM2mil to improve the lives of civil servants, including RM1mil for Johor healthy programme, RM774,000 for counselling clinic programme and another RM200,000 for welfare of civil servants and retirees through a special help programme.
“We are asking a lot from our civil servants in terms of longer working hours, high expectations from the public and increasingly complex work.
“If we want a high-performing service, we must also protect their physical, mental and emotional well-being,” he said, adding that these were the main purpose of the programmes.
He added that the counselling clinic would provide structured psychological support, professional counselling and early intervention for officers who might be facing stress, burnout or personal challenges.
“Johor Sihat complements this by focusing on preventive health including medical screenings, fitness and lifestyle programmes,” he said, adding that the special help programme was designed as a support and assistance platform when officers and their families face difficulties.
Asman also said these programmes would be accessible to essentially all state civil servants with priority outreach to frontliners, high-stress departments and officers in rural or remote postings.
He added that when officers were fit and healthy, supported and resilient, service delivery to the rakyat would also improve.
