PEDi to empower economic development of Malaysians - Annuar Musa

KUALA PERLIS: The Keluarga Malaysia Digital Economic Centres (PEDi) are more than just internet centres but will lead to greater benefits to Malaysians and the country, Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said.

He said the centres will be a national network that will boost the increase in application use and broadband availability in an area and train the public to become digital content creators.

"If we focused on connectivity previously, now we're shifting towards use of facilities, to create content that will benefit Malaysians and our country," he told reporters after presenting appointment letters to PEDi chairmen in the state.

During his speech, he expressed hope that the centres would be catalysts and get Malaysians involved in the digital economy, including those who have just begun and also youth in rural areas.

He said the government previously agreed to approve RM200 million in allocations to add 167 more centres throughout the country and tenders for the construction of centres were underway.

"The country needs to stress on applications so that citizens can use broadband services in matters that can generate income, change their lifestyles and help them create useful digital content," he said.

He hoped that the appointed chairmen would work towards efforts of providing training at all levels till citizens can create digital content that can benefit the public.

"Insya Allah in the future, the centres will have their own buildings that can be hubs capable of providing internet facilities within a one-kilometre radius," he said.

Annuar said the matter was now being studied by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

-- BERNAMA