KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Wednesday the federal government will intensify efforts to expedite development in Sarawak.Speaking in a video-conference with Sarawak Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and Kota Samarahan community leaders, Najib said this was in line with the wishes of the people of the state.
“We (federal government) will do our best to further expedite development in Sarawak,” he said in the video-conference after launching the National Broadband Initiative and High-Speed Broadband (HSSB) service at Dataran Merdeka.
Also present was Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim.
Among those who participated at the Kota Samarahan end included leaders of the Iban, Bidayuh, Chinese, Malay and Melanau communities and student representatives.
Najib said it was very clear that the people of Sarawak wanted to move ahead in the world of Information Technology (IT).
“We will redouble our efforts to expedite IT development throughout Sarawak,” he said.
In Kota Samarahan, Taib said the HSBB service would help the people in Sarawak to move ahead in the world of IT.
He said HSBB would become an important channel for the people to gain greater knowledge from all corners of the world.
“If 20 years before we had to build roads to connect the people in the interiors of Sarawak to the outside world, today we witness another transformation with the launching of HSSB,” he said, adding that the provision of a RM200 million allocation for the building of additional telecommunication towers in the state was indeed timely especially for the people in Sarawak’s rural areas who did not want to be left out of the progress in the IT world.
During question time in the video-conference, the Prime Minister was asked to visit their (community leaders) areas to get a closer view of the facilities available and the socio-economic situation there.
One of the students asked when primary schools students especially in the rural areas of Sarawak would get HSSB access while some of leaders invited Najib to visit schools in their areas.
Najib said he would do his best to fulfil their requests and bring along Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who was also present at the function.
Muhyiddin is also the Education Minister.
On the video-conference, Najib said the quality was very good because it enlisted HSSB and that he was able see Taib’s movements very clearly and which seemed very natural unlike previously when movements seemed to be like in slow motion.
“This is the success of the HSSB service,” said Najib. — Bernama