BANGKOK, Nov 21 (Bernama) -- It is a Malaysian success story built around the billions invested in the development of the country's Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry over the years.
It is the story of Kabilah Hassan who rose to fame on the global stage as a result of the government having made the crucial move to make available Internet access in the most rural and remote areas of Malaysia.
Last Monday, this seaweed farmer from Kunak, Sabah, was handed the Transformational Power of Broadband Digital Icon Award 2013 by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
The award was in recognition of Kabilah's success in transforming her conventional seaweed business into a flourishing online business venture.
Two years ago, putting food on the table was a constant worry for her, a concern compounded by the uncertainty of the weather that can easily jeopardise seaweed farming.
But, Kabilah refused to give up the business her forefathers had started and that perseverance has paid off, thanks to the visionary decision to put the venture online.
It transformed not just her seaweed business but also her life as a whole and no small thanks again goes to the fact that she had Internet access in the first place in the small town of Kunak.
Today, her business has grown so much that she now employs half her village! Her customers are in China, Japan, the United States and other parts of the world, where Kabilah never imagined selling to, when she first started out.
The Secretary-General of the ITU Dr Hamadoun Toure and Malaysia's Minister of Communications and Multimedia Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, presented the award to Kabilah during the Multi-stakeholder Partnerships and Announcements Session at the Connect Asia Pacific Summit 2013 in Bangkok.
"I am delighted with the ITU's decision to present this award to Kabilah. Like other delegations attending the Summit, we have the responsibility to ensure that our citizens have access to broadband, which is not an easy task.
"However, stories of individuals such as Kabilah, makes it all worthwhile and proves that everything is possible with broadband," said Ahmad Shabery in a statement issued by the MCMC.
Ahmad Shabery also said ICT and broadband had brought the world closer and bridged many gaps between urban and rural, and also the "haves and have nots".
Thanks to initiatives like the 1Malaysia Internet Centres (PI1M) and Kampung Tanpa Wayar (KTW), he added, entrepreneurs in rural areas now have an opportunity to improve their livelihoods by putting their businesses online.
The MCMC has been running a series of broadband success stories themed, "Connected at the Roots".
Impressed by this, Ahmad Shabery said the ITU had invited the MCMC to partner it, to search for and document inspirational stories such as Kabilah's from all over the Asia-Pacific region.
The Transformational Power of Broadband initiative "Connecting at the Roots", implemented jointly by the ITU and MCMC, is being showcased alongside 88 projects announced by the former with multiple partners across the Asia Pacific region.
MCMC Chairman Datuk Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi announced the initiative on Monday.
Malaysia has an internet penetration of about 67 per cent at present, compared to just below 30 per cent 5-6 years ago.