Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem says good communication is important in a state as large as Sarawak as longhouses are scattered distances away. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, March 12, 2016.The digital divide between the rural and urban areas in Sarawak needs to be further narrowed, said Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem.
According to him, Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak had said that all telecommunication towers in the state would be functional by the end of the month.
"The minister said 85% of the towers are already functioning. Sarawak is big...as big as the peninsula and there are 5,000 villages and longhouses scattered distances away.
"What is important at this moment is good communication in this vast state. It is information revolution; if we don't go along, we will be left behind," he said.
Adenan said this in his speech at the launch of the Malaysia Inklusif Negara Digital (Minda) programme by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, at Kuching Waterfront today.
He also said that Najib, since becoming prime minister had within six years visited the 'Land of the Hornbills' 46 times more than the five previous prime ministers combined.
"Today is his 47th visit. He comes here because he loves us (Sarawak). There has not been any prime minister like him. He never comes empty handed but brings millions, in fact, billions of ringgit to present to Sarawak," he said.
Citing the Pan Borneo Highway approved by Najib, he said Sarawak would have a facility that is on par with the North-South Expressway in the peninsula.
"Even though Malaysia's economy has taken a downturn because of the drop in oil price from US$120 (RM488) to US$30 (RM122) per barrel, the federal government was still willing to fork out RM16 billion for Sarawak," he said.
Adenan denied that the prime minister was making regular visits to Sarawak because of the coming state election.
"PM Najib comes here not only for the election. He has been coming here since the last five years.
"He is not like an individual who as prime minister for 22 years seldom visited Sarawak that you can count how many times he came. We love the PM because he loves us," he said. – Bernama, March 12, 2016.
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