By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Sept 19: The Sarawak State Attorney-General’s Chambers (SAGC) has introduced a comprehensive legislative drafting manual to standardise how State laws are framed, addressing long-standing concerns over incomplete submissions from government agencies.
The Sarawak Legislative Drafting Manual provides clear operational guidelines for public service officers, establishing procedural protocols, structural standards, and required background documentation before legislative proposals or amendments are submitted to the SAGC.
Speaking at the SAGC Excellent Service Award and Appreciation Ceremony on Friday (Sept 18), State Attorney-General Dato Sri Saferi Ali highlighted past administrative shortcomings, revealing that some departments had previously submitted legislative proposals on “only a sheet of paper”.
“With this manual, ministries and departments will understand what is required, how a law should be drafted, and how it should be structured. That is our objective,” he said.
He noted that the framework would help produce clearer, more complete legislative drafts while enforcing consistency across all State enactments.
Commending the initiative, Sarawak State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki described the manual as a key component of the public service’s “3R approach” — specifically the “Rethink” pillar, which calls on government bodies to review and overhaul administrative workflows to meet modern governance demands.
“This is another process and another effort to ‘rethink’ by the SAGC,” Mohamad Abu Bakar said, noting that the manual creates a unified benchmark across the Sarawak Civil Service.
Alongside drafting reform, Saferi urged SAGC officers to expand their expertise in fast-evolving legal domains, particularly digital technology, environmental regulation, and the green economy.
The manual was officially launched at the ceremony, witnessed by Mohamad Abu Bakar alongside senior legal officials, including Deputy State Attorney-General Datu John Wayne Chamberlin Sirau, Sarawak Legal Adviser Dato Sri Foong Joo Chung, and Senior State Counsel Dr Jady@Zaidi Hassim. — DayakDaily
