KUCHING: The state’s broadband penetration is set to increase to more than 50% by the end of the year.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the Government was committed in bringing wider broadband access to the state, particularly in rural areas, as this was equally important as electricity and clean water supply nowadays.
The target in turn would spur the national efforts to achieve a 75% penetration rate across Malaysia by 2015 which meant more than five million households will be online, he said.
“Already, 34 Community Broadband Centres offering high speed broadband have been set up in 27 parliamentary constituencies across the state.
“And thanks to the work of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), which is in the process of establishing 600 Wi-Fi connections in rural villages,” he said when launching at the inaugural Social Media Convention here yesterday.
More than 500 social media activists attended the event held by Sarawak Social Media Association (SSMA).
Najib said both urban and rural areas in Sarawak would be directly connected to the world wide web soon.
“I am determined to do everything possible to bring digital development to our nation’s less developed areas and to close the digital divide and I am confident it will not be long before we see kampung and longhouse dwellers posting messages and pictures on social media sites.”
Najib said while the government provided the “hardware” part or infrastructure, Internet users, particularly social media, must play a part in determining the content of what should be online.
“There are already more than 12 million Facebook accounts in our country. I would like all of you to intensify and amplify what the government is doing by providing comments, writing, retweeting and uploading photos and videos so that the truth can be shared with our online viewers.”
He said as the more and more people go online, elected representatives, government and state agencies should becoming more approachable and responsive to the people by increasing their interaction through social media as well.
It was also important non-governmental organisations like the SSMA and others to leverage the power of social media as connectivity improved throughout the region, said Najib.
“My advice is to work closely with the elected representatives, government agencies, educators and local community leaders to harness this new communication tool for the good of the state.
“And crucially, to understand that the news savvy younger generation prefer to source their news online instead of relying on the hardcopy traditional media,” he said.
Traditional institutions and media organisations must adapt to these changes otherwise they would be become irrelevant, he added.
“But we should never forget that, as with any tool, some people will use the Internet for negative purposes as well as positive ones – and we must be alert to those who spread false information against us and make sure that the truth wins out.”