Five more 'MARA Digital Mall' branches or Bumiputera information technologycentreswould be opened by the end of next year, said Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

"It is to provide opportunities for more Bumiputeras to be involved and venture into the digital and IT market," he said.

He said the five branches would be opened in Petaling Jaya, Terengganu, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and Johor.

"For Terengganu, we are still discussing with the Paya Bunga Mall management. Similarly with Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and Johor, we are discussing with the parties concerned to have the best location. We do not want to open in isolated areas where it would be difficult to thrive.

"However forGlomac Mall (Petaling Jaya), we are identifying the number of tenants and will only open it if the tenancy reaches 60 percent," he told reporters after opening 'MARA Digital Mall' at Anggerik Mall here, Thursday.

Present were Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) chairman Tan Sri Annuar Musa and the ministry's secretary-general Datuk Mohd Arif Ab Rahman.

MARA Digital in Anggerik Mall is the secondbranch after the firstin Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur.

Elaborating, Ismail Sabri said traders atMARA Digital Anggerik Mallwould enjoy a six-month rental exemption until their business is stable enough to earn profits.

He said Digital MARA Anggerik Mall would also serve as a one-stopcentreas it was offering not only ICTproducts butalso phone repair services and mobile phone bill payment.

He added that in the first phase, there were currently 32 kiosks in the MARA Digital Anggerik Mall that were selling ICT products and accessories including mobile phones and laptops.

"The second phase will involve the participation of telecommunication companies such as Maxis and Celcom to cater for the bill payment service. Next month, we expect 17 more kiosks to beopened includingby leading mobile phone manufacturers like Samsung and Oppo," he said.