Abang Johari virtually officiating the STEM Playground Virtual Fair 2020 today.
KUCHING: The prevalence of e-commerce platforms in Sarawak has been able to mitigate the negative impacts of Covid-19 pandemic to the economic sector, said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.
He said that it was the reason why he took the initiative to embark on digital economy and develop the digital entrepreneur community in the state.
“That’s why I have taken the initiative to embark on digital economy and develop the digital entrepreneur community in the state via Digital Innovation Hub under Sarawak Multimedia Authority, Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation, Centre of Technical Excellence and Tabungan Ekonomi Gagasan Anak Sarawak (TEGAS),” said Abang Johari.
He said the increase in parcels being delivered to the state was evident of the e-commerce industry taking off, where businesses could be conducted beyond the country’s borders.
Abang Johari added the state government had introduced the Sarawak Pay e-Wallet to facilitate cashless payments and it was heartening to see many locally-conceived digital initiatives, including The Tuyang Initiative, Timogah, Borneo Digital, Trifold Enterprise, Darmadia and Menur, had made their marks on national and international state.
“I am glad that many, including those from the fishing community and ‘kuih muih’ sellers are using Sarawak Pay to receive orders and payments. This shows that our society could adapt to digital technological advancement.”
He hoped the setting up of Digital Village in Samajaya, expected to be completed in December, would be able to further nurture and mould local digital entrepreneurs into achieving international success, while creating employment opportunities and contributing to the state’s economy along the way.
To realise the goal of producing more quality human capital to achieve develop status for the state by 2030, Abang Johari said the state government had focused on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education.
“TEGAS is assisting to greater promote STEM education through its high-impact programmes such as STEM Playground, Drone and Robotics Explore and Community Innovation Literacy,” said Abang Johari when virtually officiating the STEM Playground Virtual Fair 2020 organised by TEGAS today.
Such programmes are also rolled out in rural and interior areas to narrow the gap between urban and rural areas in terms of education and infrastructure development, he adds.
“I was informed schools in rural areas such as SK Pulau Bruit and SK Long Sepiling had been crowned champions for innovation contests at the international level. SMK Jalan Arang was named the winner for the MAKE X 2019 robotic competition in Guangzhou, China.”
Nonetheless, Abang Johari said he was attracted to STEM Playground Virtual Fair 2020 as one of its online games related to STEM education was being conducted in 360-degree format, as if participants were physically taking part in the programme.
He also noted that all activities planned for the STEM Playground Virtual Fair could be carried out in offline mode by students in rural areas with the use of pendrive.
“TEGAS will deliver the pendrives to all schools located in the rural areas that do not have access to strong internet connectivity yet,” said Abang Johari, pointing out the STEM Playground Virtual Fair 2020 was the largest of its kind being organised in the state and country.
Meanwhile, Assistant Minister of Urban Development and Resources and TEGAS chairman Datu Len Talif Salleh said this year ‘STEM Playground’ programme had to be organised virtually due to Covid-19 pandemic.
“Switching to online platform for the programme is expected to attract about 100,000 to 150,000 visitors, instead of 40,000 visitors for the traditional physical programme. The seven-day programme will end on October 4 and its operational 24 hours a day,” said Len Talif.
He urged students to grab this opportunity by visiting ‘STEM Playground’ website at stemplayground.my and enjoy its interactive and simulation activities planned – a shift from conventional classroom method.
Len Talif said students can expect strategic learning experience that involve experiments, demonstrations, forensics, coding, lectures, workshops and STEM facts gallery.