New telco towers in Long Pasia bridge digital divide
Published on: Tuesday, January 24, 2017
LONG PASIA: Telecommunications facilities in Long Pasia, about 130km from Sipitang, has been enhanced through the provision of seven telecommunications towers benefiting nearly 1,000 residents.Communications and Multimedia Deputy Minister Datuk Jailani Johari said the provision of the new towers proved the Government's resolve to bridge the digital divide between urban and rural areas, and give users better communications facilities. According to him, the seven towers had been erected along the route heading to Long Pasia – an area under the Sindumin state constituency – to enhance broadband coverage.
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"A total of 10 telecommunications towers have been provided in Sindumin, including three in Lumadan. Another five telecommunications towers will be provided in Sindumin."The cost of providing telecommunications towers in Sindumin is about RM20 million," he told reporters after a ceremony to officiate the facilities and hand out house number plates, here, Monday. Also present were Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) Sabah and Labuan Regional Chairman Mazlan Othman, Pos Malaysia Sabah General Manager Mohd Sairin Mohd Ibrahim and Sindumin State Assemblyman Datuk Ahmad Bujang.
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Jailani said the new telecommunications facilities could be utilised by the locals to generate income, including promoting tourism in the area.He said Long Pasia was a beautiful place with the potential of attracting tourists and developing local products.
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"For that, the State Government can discuss with MCMC to find ways to improve the Internet speed at the 'e-desa' centre provided to the people here," he said.On the handing out of residential number plates, Jailani said the initiative undertaken by MCMC and Pos Malaysia through the Address For All (AFA) programme involved 155 premises – 114 in Long Pasia and 41 in Long Mio. "With the launch of the AFA programme, Long Pasia now has the convenience of addresses and postal services on par with other rural areas, thus improving the quality of life of the people, and various transactions such as letter and parcel delivery, identity management and government assistance will be implemented in a better and effective manner," he said.He added that a community postman would be assigned each week to collect postal items for Long Pasia residents from the Sipitang Post Office, which would take about three to four hours using a four-wheel drive vehicle.In the meantime, he said, the AFA programme would be extended to other rural areas.Kampung Long Pasia village chief Mudin Sia said the provision of the towers and postal services would improve peoples' communications, especially in formal correspondence and emergencies."Before this, the Internet and phone lines here were a problem, but this year, phone calls can be made from the house. Telecommunications facilities have really improved despite being far from the city," he said.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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