New channel to feature more local dialects

KOTA KINABALU: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak says RTM’s new channel, TV OKEY, will enable messages to be delivered more effectively to Sabah and Sarawak via the states’ local dialects.

He said this was because, apart from using the national language, the use of local dialects was seen as an effective way to deliver messages to the rakyat.

“In Sabah, we have more than 52 ethnic groups while Sarawak has 27 ethnic groups with 50 dialects. Previously, only the Kadazan and Iban would be able to listen to news delivered in their dialects twice a day.

“But with this new channel, there will be many more programmes featuring other dialects, such as Dusun and Bajau,” he said at the launch of the new channel here yesterday.

Present at TV OKEY’s launch were Najib’s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Sabah Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Aman and his wife, Datin Seri Faridah Tussin, Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Abang Openg, Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak, as well as other ministers.

Najib said TV OKEY can improve two-way communication between the government and the people, as well as develop the creative industry in the states.

“This is why I was drawn to the name — OKEY. To us, what is important is that the people feel ‘okay’. When they are ‘okay’, the government is ‘okay’ too.”

He said the creative industry was one of the Entry Point Projects under the National Key Economic Areas, and was expected to contribute RM3.04 billion to the gross national income and produce more than 10,000 jobs by 2020.

Salleh said the name of the channel, which is an acronym for “Opportunity, Knowledge, Experience and Yours”, was chosen as it was catchy.

The channel can be viewed on Astro 109 and MyFreeview 110, as well as RTM’s mobile application.