Awg Tengah: Telco services a necessity
KUCHING: The state government is serious in providing better telecommunications services to every corner of Sarawak, assures Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.
“We have to improve and develop our telecommunication and infrastructure to embrace the digital economy, which is no longer a choice but a necessity,” he said at the Sacofa Smart Partner Gala Dinner at a hotel here on Friday.
“I believe the telecommunications sector will grow. The State has committed RM1billion for telecommunications infrastructure in Sarawak and soon we will have our DUN sitting where we will table a bill to establish State Multimedia Authority to co-ordinate all functions related to digital economy.”
He urged entrepreneurs, especially Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to rethink the way they deliver their products and services by adopting new technologies to be innovative and creative in order to remain competitive in the fast changing business environment.
Awang Tengah who is also Minister of Industrial and Entrepreneur Development and the Second Minister of Urban Development and Natural Resources, said that SMEs in Malaysia have played an important role in the economic transformation by contributing 35.9 per cent of GDP, 65 per cent of employment and 17.8 per cent of exports.
“I encourage all SMEs, contractors, consultants to continuously build your capacity in order to be ready for new opportunities.”
Earlier, Sacofa Sdn Bhd managing director Zaid Zaini said that its partners are sacrosanct to its success in realising its goal to facilitate the state government’s target of achieving 95 per cent broadband coverage in populated areas by 2020, and 100 per cent coverage with a minimum of 30mbps by 2030.
“It is also fortuitous that today’s gala dinner immediately follows the national budget 2018, and just as in previous budgets, the government has had the foresight to identify emerging and growth sectors, such as the digital-economy and entrepreneurial enterprise, which will enhance yet further the partnerships we celebrate today to bring connectivity to all Sarawak communities.”
He added that the construction of new telecommunications towers means 4G / LTE services for the communities it serves - urban and rural, young and old, meet the needs of large corporations and local-start-up businesses.
“This opens the doors to a huge array of potential opportunities for the area, beyond just quality and reliable telecommunications. The schools in the area can now have access to open-source learning opportunities and materials, allowing children to thrive, flourish and learn, setting them up with the skills for a better life. The homestay tourism industry can connect and tap into a world of potential visitors, increasing tourism revenue,” he said.
“The economic and societal benefits such connectivity brings are limitless. It is imperative that while the urban areas of Sarawak are being developed, we do not forget to empower the rural areas and interior of Sarawak simultaneously.
“Our partners, contractors and suppliers go to extra special lengths. They meet the highest standards and regulations for health and safety, work with the best possible materials, comply with all set-back levels from public buildings, are constructed to the highest standards, erected to meet tight deadlines, have their locations sourced to meet growing demands in areas with low connectivity, bridge the rural/urban and rich/poor digital divide and are a major catalyst for the state’s e-learning - with programmes like SACOFA4U rolling out free WiFi to targeted areas to stimulate innovation, entrepreneurial growth and economic advancement.
“Some of our telco towers are erected in the most remote parts of our state, and it’s with great ingenuity that towers, such as that at Kampung Telok Malano, can only be accessed by water, making some projects significant feats of engineering. To those who work alongside us to make this a reality, we owe a great debt of gratitude, as we look set to realise our vision for a truly connected Sarawak.”
The gala dinner, was held in celebration of the company’s 210 partners - comprising of 158 Bumiputera and 52 nonBumiputera partners.