Friendly icon: Raja Nong Chik (second left) and Dr Rais (right) awarding Mahmud Din with the Friendly Neighbour Award during the launch in Kerinchi. Looking on is Deputy Minister for Information, Communications and Culture Datuk Joseph Salang.
KUALA LUMPUR: About 20,000 people are expected to benefit from the first urban 1Malaysia Internet Centre (PI1M) that started operations at the Seri Pantai People's Housing Scheme in Kerinchi, Pantai Dalam, here.
The centre was jointly launched by Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim and Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin.
Dr Rais in his speech urged the people living in Kerinchi to make use of the facility.
“Use the Internet to enhance unity... to strengthen our struggle for the nation,” he said during the launch which was part of the Knowing Your Neighbours programme.
Dr Rais said there were 306 rural PI1M centres throughout the country and another 100 urban PI1M centres would be set up in two phases this year.
The urban PI1M is part of the Government's initiative announced during the 2013 Budget to enable the lower-income group to access high-speed Internet services as well as provide training in the field of ICT.
For WiFi services, users need to pay RM5 for registration while Internet services are provided free for the first 30 minutes but subsequent usage would be charged RM1 an hour for adults and 50 sen for children.
Dr Rais said the Knowing Your Neighbours programme was initiated to strengthen goodwill and unity among the people living in the same area.
“Such programmes are needed because the culture of interacting with neighbours, helping each other no matter what race or religion or political alliance is becoming rare,” he said.