BEKENU: The Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKLW) has allocated RM80 million for next year to uplift the development of human capital nationwide.

Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun said his Ministry will focus directly on the development of human capital through various programmes.

“Among the programmes we will emphasise on are entrepreneurs and ICT,” he told reporters after declaring open the Asia Pacific Economic Corporation (APEC) APEC Digital Opportunity Centre (ADOC) programme at Kampung Selanyau here yesterday morning.

From the overall allocation, he said, half will be used for entrepreneur’s development programme while the rest is for human capital development in ICT.

Earlier, Entulu urged the rural folk to take advantage of the ADOC programme which will be implemented in stages with the aim of narrowing the digital gap between rural and urban areas.

The ADOC programme was established under the APEC initiative between Malaysia and the government of Taipei through mutual understanding.

More than 1,000 people from Kampung Selanyau and its surrounding areas will be able to uplift their knowledge and skills in ICT through the implementation of the ADOC programme.

Entulu said Kampung Selanyau had been chosen as the first place in Sarawak, and the third in Malaysia, to benefit through ADOC programme since it was first established last year.

He disclosed that two more ADOC centres will be built, one at Kampung Tagudon Baru Ranau in Sabah and the other at Kampung Renok Bharu in Gua Musang, Kelantan.

He urged the rural folk to take advantage of the opportunity provided which is in line with the government’s aspiration to have a knowledgeable and progressive society by the year 2020.

“Moreover, the establishment of this centre will narrow the digital gap between rural and urban communities in the country.

“It will give digital exposure and maximise digital applications by rural entrepreneurs to complement the existing Rural Tele-centre Project or known as MID” he added.

Kampung Selanyau is about 45km away from Miri City and 6km from Bekenu.

Also present at the event yesterday were Lambir Assemblyman Ripin Lamat , Taipei ADOC Secretariat representative Min Li Lin, Taipei Economic and Culture Office in Malaysia (TECO) representative Tsui Chuan Huang, Miri District Officer Boniface Intang Apat, local departmental heads and community leaders.

Entulu informed that since the pilot project was implemented 10 months ago in Kampung Gadek, Melaka and Kampung Guntung Luar, Terengganu, both centres have benefited a total of 482 people.

“Among the courses conducted were web development, social media and online marketing, as well as non-ICT courses like language and e-learning programmes.

“In addition, the ADOC centre in Kampung Gadek has been chosen as the host for the Taiwan-Malaysia Youth Exchange Programme, involving university students from Taiwan National University of Science and Technology and UniKL,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister hoped that the ADOC centre here would propagate the usage of ICT among the local community and be a stepping stone for them to climb higher to be on par with the rest of the world.