KOTA BHARU, Oct 30 — A total of 600 Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family) Digital Economy Centres (PEDi), which are being transformed from existing community internet centres, will focus on generating income and helping the people’s economy, said Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa.
He said the function of community or rural internet centres, which previously only provided internet access facilities to the rural community, needed to be changed to produce digital entrepreneurs.
“Hence, the emphasis now is not only on connectivity but also the digital economy, so that people in rural areas can focus on economic activities and increase income by using internet facilities.
“In the past, the internet was mainly for communication, now it is a must for economic activities. We will improve the quality of the applications in accordance with the internet facilities,” he said.
He said this to reporters after presenting a contribution to former martial arts teacher Hasan Arsat, 84, during the Ziarah CSR: Keluarga Malaysia Finas programme in Kampung Padang Lembek, Ketereh, today.
Finance Minister, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, when tabling the Budget 2022 in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) would transform 600 PEDi into one-stop centres to guide micro-entrepreneurs in using digital technology.
Annuar, who is also the MP for Ketereh, also said that the PEDi launching ceremony is expected to be officiated by Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, in Bera, Pahang, in November.
“Apart from the existing 600 PEDi, I will also add more internet centres in the state constituencies which have yet to have such centres.
“The Ministry of Communications and Multimedia (KKMM), through MCMC and the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), will conduct training programmes and e-commerce course modules that will be implemented in all the PEDi,” he said. — Bernama
