FOI2026 interview with the Maldives and Malaysia's former ministers on people-centred government transformation
By Derek Alton
Government transformation is usually talked about through technology, systems, and reform plans.
But in this conversation, Mohammed Shareef, former Permanent Secretary for the Government of Maldives, and Dr. Ong Kian Ming, former Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry for Malaysia, bring it back to something much more human: people.
We talk about why government needs to invest in people, relationships, and internal capability — not just tools. The conversation moves through people, systems, and self: how leaders manage teams, navigate institutions, understand themselves, and communicate clearly with the people they serve.
We also get into cognitive sovereignty, the danger of outsourcing too much capability, and why AI may help provide faster answers — but humans still need to frame the right questions.
What would change if governments treated people as the starting point for transformation, not the afterthought?
The video was first published on Civic Punks' YouTube page, and this was made possible through a collaboration between GovInsider and Civic Punks at the Festival of Innovation (FOI) 2026 event from 3-4 March 2026.