CM lauds Lands and Surveys for being proactive
Published on: Wednesday, April 06, 2011
Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Lands and Surveys Department is getting more active and significant especially with the increase in the State's development tempo.Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said this is particularly so because land is a basic requirement of any development, be it agricultural, residential, industrial, commercial or social.He congratulated the department for charting Sabah into the digital era.
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The history and evolution of the Lands and Surveys Department, he said, always had a direct bearing on the history and development of the State."As you are aware, land is a source of all material wealth and the basic requirement of any development," he said at the opening of Map Malaysia 2011 3rd National Conference on Geographical Information Technology and Applications at Magellan Sutera Harbour, Tuesday.Deputy Chief Minister-cum-Resource Development and Information Technology Minister, Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai delivered his speech.Further on geospatial, Musa expressed excitement over the opportunities it offers in making a difference in the way people live.
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Information from geospatial technology, he said, is useful for research organisations, governments, utility companies and including those who provide emergency services.Because of this, he said technological advancements should not be seen as a barrier in coming up with geospatial data.
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"Reliable and more accessible geospatial data will allow for better decision making and can function as an enabler for the private sector to add value to its services," he said.From its traditional application, geospatial technology application has diversed into the business, design and engineering, social networking, energy emission estimation and climate change sectors, among others.Citing Geographic Information System (GIS), he said it has become a people's technology, following its integration with mobile telecommunications and the internet.He said the GIS has been identified as an enabling technology for moving cross-cutting interdisciplinary science forward.In Malaysia, Musa said geospatial data has shown great market potential because it is not applied in survey and mapping but also in investigating types of resources such as agriculture, environment assessment, regional planning, public facility management, traffic and other services."A proactive government and a driven private sector have created an environment of synergy in the region, essential for the exponential growth of the geospatial field," he said.On the other hand, he said the geospatial sector would also have to continue to strive to change and become better and more useful for its users.This is so that it would enhance its usability in helping other industries realise its respective goals efficiently and effectively, thus allowing them to remain competitive.Meanwhile, the two-day conference will see more than 80 speakers delivering short presentations to more than 370 participants including delegates.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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