Prime Minister Najib Razak will consider the request by Sabah leaders that more locals be given the opportunity to head federal departments and agencies in the state.

He said currently, 37 of the 80 heads of federal departments and agencies in the state were civil servants from Sabah and efforts were being made to increase the number.

"I read in the newspaper (today) about the demand by Sabah leaders who want more locals to become heads of federal departments and agencies in the state.

"And we certainly hope that this will materialise. We are also endeavouring to emplace federal civil servants from Sabah in federal departments and agencies in Kuala Lumpur or Putrajaya to gain experience.

"We also hope that more people from Sabah will join the federal civil service and as such, more people from Sabah can become heads of federal departments and agencies not only in Sabah but also in the other states," he said when opening the Sabah INTAN campus, in Tuaran today.

Upko vice-president Senator Datuk Maijol Mahap, as quoted in a newspaper yesterday, demanded that more people from Sabah who were qualified to be appointed heads of federal departments and agencies in the state.

He had also asked the federal government to fulfill the conditions under the 20-Point Agreement, signed between Sabah and the federal government before the formation of Malaysia.

Phase two of transformation

Meanwhile, Najib called on civil servants to adapt themselves to the changing environment particularly in implementing phase two of the national transformation programme, thus achieving the government's vision of becoming a developed nation by 2020.

"The environment in the implementation of phase two of the transformation is very different from the environment in phase one. The method used previously may not be suitable, that's why civil servants have to make adaptations to achieve the objectives of phase two of the transformation programme," he said.

In this context, Najib hoped that INTAN could churn out civil servants who were open to change, willing to change and had the entrepreneurship mind.

"Thus, as the 'premier training arm' for the public sector, INTAN  will become a famous institute not only in Malaysia but will also be a source of reference at the international level," he added.

- Bernama