PTD Visit to Pulau Carey Aboriginate Villages

Titian Digital Discussion with ITU-UUM ASP COE for Rural ICT Development

30 Jan 2011 - Program Titian Digital held discussion with International Telecommunication Union - Universiti Utara Malaysia Asia Pacific Center of Excellence for Rural ICT Development at it's office in Sintok, Kedah.

Members of Program Titian Digital was welcomed by Assoc. Prof Wan Rozaini Bt Sheik Osman , Director of ITU-UUM .  PTD was represented by :

a) Mr Gunasegaran Kandaswamy - PTD Steering Committee Chairman
b) Mr Karuppiah Arumugam - PTD Project Director
c) Mr Arikrishnan Subramanian - PTD Project Manager
d) Mr Subha Rao - PTD Kedah Representative

While ITU - UUM delegate comprise of :

a) Assoc. Prof Wan Rozaini Bt Sheik Osman , Director of ITU-UUM
b) Assoc Prof Dr. Chek B Derashid,  Chairman Business & Community Development
c) Dr.Yuhanis binti Yusof, Chairman Research & Training
d) Dr Mohd Syazwan Abdullah, Fellow
e) Ms Stephanie , Reseacher
f) Mohamad Azlan bin Mohamad Nasrun, Administrative Officer
g) Muhammad Khairul Munawwar bin Ismail, Community Affairs Officer

The discussion was fruitful as both parties identified mutual area of work that could benefit community at large including training by ITU-UUM for PTD Trainers. ITU-UUM also agreed to extend their assistance to document PTD program as required by policy makers and international organization a step that will benefit users of Program Titian Digital.

 

PTD Visit to Kedah

Program Titian Digital members visited Kulim, Kedah on 29 -30 January 2011 to hold preliminary discussion and conduct survey at selected SJKT schools there.

We visit following schools and hold discussions in identifying possibility of setting up PTD Labs there.

Following schools was visited:

a) SJKT Ladang Bukit Sidim
b) SJKT Ladang Padang Mehia
c) SJKT Ladang Selarong
d) SJKT Ladang  Wellesley
e) SJKT Ladang Bukit Mertajam

We also hold discussion with well wishers and social entrepreneurs in the area to identify possible means of collaboration including coordination on behalf of PTD.


Discussion also held with other civil society organization and local champions to identify schools deserving schools , and ways to finance Program Titian Digital to schools that shown keen interest.

Rotary Club Kelana Sg Ujung Launch Fund Raising for PTD Project

President Muru of Rotary club Kelana Sg Ujung, Negeri Sembilan D3300 today official launch Fund Raising effort. Fund collected will be used to setup fully functional ICT Lab complete with 41 terminals, a server, 2 air conditioning units, Projectors , and safety grills.

During the event some donors pledged electrical wiring works and another to sponsor networking cables.

The club aims to raise some RM100,000 for this purpose. Best wishes to the club and it's member for taking a bold step towards betterment of rural tamil schools in Malaysia.

PTD : ICT Coordinators Meeting

A Meeting Between PTD Management Team and School ICT Coordinators on 29th December 2010. The meeting aims to identify weakness and problems faced in implementation of Program Titian Digital.

Fruit discussion was held during the meeting including some sharing of experiences on how they overcome resistance from parents. One such sharing were a school identify well educated parents refuse to send their childrens for ICT classes due to small adminitration fee charged while parents from poor background very much keen.

Many other issues were discussed during the meeting including year 2011 ICT teachers training calendar and proposed Internet week.

LOGO : Program Titian Digital

Let's Teach ICT to Kids

You may have notice my recent post on Digital Divide. Currently I'm working on a project called Program Titian Digital with HYO Port Klang and Malaysian Comminuty & Education Foundation (MCEF).

The United Nations' Annual Human Development Report 2001 which studied the relationship between technology and economic prosperity came to the conclusion that poor people need more innovation and access to technology, not less.

While at our home ground, a joint study by Monash University and Yonsei University , South Korea found that :

 a) People of Indian Origin have the lowest use of ICT among three ethnic group
 b) Government Assisted land scheme (Such as FELDA) has the highest ICT adoption rates: and on the other hand POP (privately owned plantations) has the lowest adoption rates

The study also suggest Government has vital role in providing access to appropriate ICT infrastructure for homes and schools in the POP . Does, that happen in Malaysia  where Information is the life blood of communities in knowledeg-intensive society. In many rural areas across the globe, weak and uncoirdinated ICT development plans not only hinder reasons for widening the knowledge and wealth gaps between rural and urban communities.

Realising the Important of ICT, Selangor State Government had sponsored some Labs to Tamil schools in the state.  While for other states are working NLFCS, Magnum, Astro, Rotary Club of Kelana Sg Ujung . Some lobbying also taking place at Federal level thou signal still look blank.

As a community can we let our rural /estate tamil school student in darkness knowing ICT will overtake. Only with ICT knowledge our community can leapfrog or be in par with others in coming days especially with government High Income Transformation plan. Do we want to see our community stranded again during next Economical Transformation tsunami.

Can we joint hand together sponsor a fully function ICT Lab. That has  41 terminals connected to a server, with table, chair, projectors, screen, Edu-Ubuntu /open source software. Do kindly visit http://titiandigital.blogspot.com/ for some details of the program.

We will be happy to organise a Hi-tea program in KL or PJ should there is keen interest from members of public  to explain further on our Initiative.

Appreciate if we can co-operate .

Regards
S. Arikrishnan

DIGITAL DIVIDE TO NAIL MALAYSIAN INDIAN

Got attracted to a question post by  Subba Rao Jaggaram, Selangor at Personal Webiste of Dato Sri' Najib Razak :

What are your ambitions as PM of Malaysia? 

I wish to see all Malaysians enjoy a better quality of life in future with Malaysia’s economy on an established platform of growth. In more specific terms, this means Malaysia becoming a high-value, high-income and highly-skilled nation by 2020, with an emphasis on sustainability and inclusiveness.

In parallel with this vision is my hope to see enduring national unity in Malaysia, a continuous effort since we achieved independence 53 years ago. Without national unity there cannot be political stability, a foundation of all other things. Once our differences are celebrated as a source of strength, then I can say that my unity dream has been realised.

My comment to the post :

Mr PM , I refer to " I wish to see all Malaysians enjoy a better quality of life in future with Malaysia’s economy on an established platform of growth. In more specific terms, this means Malaysia becoming a high-value, high-income and highly-skilled nation by 2020, with an emphasis on sustainability and inclusiveness."

How can you achieve this when projects such as Pusat Internet Desa and other telecentres under National Broadband initiatives worth Billions of Dollar only focus in certain area. Your office may have overlook those residing in Plantations as study shows usage of ICT are lowest among this population compare to other rural site. Statistics may show good penetration rate but when compare intra rural statistics the result may indicate our concern. if you have time do review : http://titiandigital.blogspot.com

Take Note the following facts :

A ) Digital Divide can hinder the advancement of knowledge and limit the socio-economic development of society

B) World Economic Forum (WEF 2009/10) placed Malaysia at the 27^st position out of 133 countries in the world

c) Worst Still, Boardband penetration in the rural areas is less than 1%

d) Government formulated National Broadband Initiatives in 2010 with total investment of RM12 billion as part of strategy to increase ICT among it’s citizens

e) Rural ICT centres’ such as Pusat Internet Desa, Medan info Desa, Kedai.com, Smart.com, E- Community Centre , Community IT Selangor, EMosque Melaka, KETENGAH IT.

f) By end 2009 – Rural ICT telecenters are

                a) 42 Rural Internet Centres,

                b) 240 Community Broadband Centres

                c) 11 Mini Community Broadband Centres

               d) 58 Community Communications Development Programs

               e) 7 Kampung WiFi Project

               f) 110 Community Broadband Libraries

Expecting 100,000 new Jobs by 2017  under  10^th Malaysia Plan , New Economic Model , National Broadband Initiatives , HighSpeed  Broadbrand(HSBB) .

Note:  None of the Rural ICT telecentre located at any privately owned Plantations (ESTATES by SIMEDARBY or alike)  . What will happen to those workers and their offspring?

To further support my concern  check out following statistics extracted from Economic Bulletin Vol 10, 101-133,2009 Centre for Business Excellence, Faculty of Business Management, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Malaysia.

  GALS : Government Assisted Land Scheme

  POP : Privately Operated Plantations

  TAC : Traditional Agriculture Communities

  FV    : Fishing Village

Percentage of Internet Usage among four Communities : Only 5 % at POP (Privately Operated Plantations)

Another Interesting Finding :

People of Ethnic Indian Origin have the lowest use of ICT among the Three Ethnic Group. The percentage of Indians in rural areas that use the Internet is 4 percent, which is more then 300 percent Lower that that of Malays and Chinese.

We have done our part , by initiating Program Titian Digital . What's your contribution ?  Are we going to blame the government or wait for another 50 years just to acknowledge Indians been nailed down.

Official Opening Ceremony of Titian Digital at Ladang Cairo School

Official Opening Ceremony of Negeri Sembilan's first ICT Lab under Program Titian Digital was held on Nov 14, 2010.

It was officiated by Tan Sri Dato K R Somasundram, Chairman of National Land Finance Cooperative Limited.

Titian Digital Module Development Workshop

Titian Digital Module Development Workshop was held on Oct 24, 2010. Educationist
and It professionals participated in this workshop.