Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important.
— Bill Gates, American software developer
Access to technology and its many applications is essential in our society nowadays.
One of the important things that many people the world over have realised during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns is the critical role technology has played in getting them through some tough times.
Unfortunately, not everyone has equal access or good connectivity. On the other hand, overall, many of us have also been fortunate that we had connectivity to facilitate our day-to-day activities during the lockdowns.
The Covid-19 pandemic has now accelerated the need for these technological trends. Many of the technologies available to us have helped reduce the spread of the coronavirus and also enabled businesses to continue their operations and others to adapt to and adopt new technologies.
I am sure you would agree that during the Covid-19 pandemic, technologies already available to us played a central role in keeping our society functioning, especially during times of lockdowns and quarantines.
The Sarawak government, led by Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, had already implemented, initiated and also planned for Sarawak’s digital transformation before the pandemic.
These initiatives in one way or another played a big role in softening the negative impacts of the pandemic for Sarawakians.
I will just touch on some of the Sarawak government initiatives that were already in place before the pandemic.
One such initiative was the International Digital Economy Conference Sarawak (IDECS), a ground-breaking conference held in 2017 and 2018. The outcome from this led to eight main initiatives towards building and sustaining a Sarawak Digital Economy.
These were the setting up of the Development Bank of Sarawak, the inception of Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA), the establishment of Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC), improving the speed of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure, the digital village concept, promoting online study among the new generation, promoting Sarawak as a data centre location and formulation of a digital plan for Sarawak.
Another important initiative was the Sarawak Digital Economy Strategy Document 2018-2022. This was launched on December 13, 2017.
It contains 47 strategic actions for the development of Sarawak’s digital economy. Among the many sectors that will benefit here are agriculture, manufacturing industry 4.0, tourism, smart cities across Sarawak, digital healthcare, e-commerce, infrastructure, skills and expertise, research and development, innovation and entrepreneurship, Big Data, cyber security and digital inclusivity and digital and social government and social sector.
One highly visible initiative was Sarawak Pay, now renamed S Pay Global, to reflect its aspirations. This initiative is one of the strategic actions to digitise Sarawak’s economy.
This is a highly successful e-Wallet initiative that was launched by the chief minister on November 15, 2017. This very useful e-Wallet has facilitated the use of cashless transactions in Sarawak during the pandemic. More than 500,000 users have registered with 64,000 plus registered as merchants making it the most popular e-Wallet in Sarawak.
Other critical initiatives and platforms have been the establishment of Sarawak Research and Development Council (SRDC), Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA), Sarawak Digital Innovation Hubs, Centexs as a digital talent development centre, Sarawak E-Commerce Forum, SarawakGov and the important E-Commerce Transformation Plan 2030 (E-Com Y30).
These initiatives that preceded the pandemic and some have managed to see us through the pandemic in many aspects.
The commitment and investment by the Sarawak government in digital technologies and the associated support infrastructure will help to build a sustainable and resilient society in Sarawak with widespread social and economic benefits to its people.
Its rollout is already having a huge impact on how we conduct business, how we carry out transactions, how we work, how we manufacture goods, how we teach and learn, how we entertain ourselves and how we receive medical services and let’s hope even how we can vote electronically from the comfort of our homes.
The Sarawak government’s current investments and initiatives related to new technologies and digital transformation have already placed us on firmer footing, giving Sarawak a robust foundation to face future challenges and also in the meantime attract more investments.
Ultimately, we Sarawakians will continue to benefit from these forward-looking policies and see even more growth and development, ensuring a stable yet progressive society for many generations to come.
Abang Johari is on record saying: “We should take advantage of the latest technology to serve the people better” and has been delivering many aspects of his visions for Sarawak.
These initiatives will make permanent changes in our society and have a lasting impact on the lives of Sarawakians and our chief minister has charted the course towards 2030 and be rest assured, there will be no looking back.
The views expressed are those of the columnist and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the New Sarawak Tribune.
