(The Borneo Post; May 7, 2006)

Miri : Residents in rural areas should be given proper training in IT and computer related fields to ensure that they know how to use the computers donated by the government to their areas.
"It would be a waste to donate to an area where no one knows hoe to operate it,"said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam.

Dr Chan said the government has spent a large amount of money to provide computers to schools and knowledge centres in rural areas in an effort to produce a knowledge-based society."All rural and remote areas need to have computer experts to operate computers in their respective areas. This will enable donated computers to be fully utilised, not just left areas. This is waste of govenment money, "he pointed out.

Dr Chan revealed this in his speech at the lauching of PIKOM PC Fair 2006 and the Rural ICT Guided Home-Based Technopreneur(RIGHT) Programme at the Indoor Stadium here yesterday.
Among those present were Assistant Minister of Plantation Enterprises and Commodities Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui, Assistant Minister of Infrastructure Development and Communication Lee Kim Shin, Miri Mayor Datuk Wee Han Wen, CEO of SAINS Teo Tien Hiong and chairman of Computer Sales & Services Association Sarawak, Alex Jong.

The event was jointly organised by Sarawak Information System Sdn. Bhd. (SAINS) and Association Computer and Multimedia Industry Malaysian (PIKOM). Dr Chan said the RIGHT Programme was targetted at bridging the urban-rural digital divide on a sustainable basis.
"Under the RIGHT programme, sponsored candidates from rural communities given subsidised training by SAINS and sent back to their respective communities to provide, among other things, hardware and network support as well as desktop software training and e-commerce solutions."
Subsequently, the trainees operate from their home as self-employed technopreneurs with the safety-net of SAINS as technological mentor. "SAINS also assists them in getting local jobs, such as from rural schools, as well as contract their services for rural projects where applicable," he added.

According to him, the RIGHT initiative, with its collaborative and sustainable emphasis, is unique in Malaysia. It was conceptualised and personally designed by the chief executive officer of SAINS.

Dr Chan revealed that the programmes involved four different parties namely the Ministry of Rural and Land Development, the Education Department, Mobif Berhad and Intel.
Meanwhile Dr Chan was pleased to see the latest consumer computing technologies at the PC Fair.

"PIKOM PC Fair 2006 plays an important role in bringing ICT awareness and encouraging computer usage to the main in the street, as well as promote increased ICT utilisation among small and medium enterprises."he said. A total of 49 exihibition booths featuring the latest ICT products are available at the three-day PIKOM PC Fair held at Miri Indoor Stadium. The fair started last Friday with today being the last days.