(Sarawak Tribune; July 1, 2011)

KUCHING: Knowledge is just one click away when the library role was transformed from passive to proactive and becoming more competitive as it is now.

This is because library had faced the challenge from the ICT application, particularly internet, where the information can be obtained at any time from various resources.

Chief Minister Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud, said this in his speech text read by Minister in Chief Minister's Department Datin Fatimah Abdullah, at the launching of the Pustaka 1Malaysia at the Sarawak State Library yesterday.

Taib in the text said her was confident that the Pustaka 1Malaysia is a project that can benefit and will be able to give the added value in the everyday life of Sarawakians.

"I was made to understand that among the goals of creating the Pustaka 1Malaysia was to prepare the information access through broadband, technology portal and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)," said the Chief Minister.

Pustaka 1Malaysia, it should be seen as a chances to educate the community on the state's aspiration to become a developed and high income state.

The state government, said Taib, in collaboration with private bodies had provided Wifi Hotspots in several districts in the state but because of the Sarawak's challenging geographical condition, only the urban area of the district can be equipped with the facilities with the final goals of creating the e-Community in the future.

Also present at the launching yesterday were the Acting CEO of Sarawak State Library, Japri Bujang Masli and Sarawak Communications and Multimedia Commission Chief Strategy Officer, Dato Mohamed Sharil Mohamed Tarmizi.