Digital Economy Centre’s many benefits

Kota Kinabalu: State Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Yakub Khan said establishing a Digital Economy Centre (PEDi) for the use of the community and nearby residents can yield benefits and positive impact to the community, especially in efforts to improve the mastery and use of ICT technology.

“I am confident that the existence of this PEDi can greatly benefit the local community and it can also facilitate all daily affairs faster and save costs and time for local residents.

“I was told that PEDi provides facilities such as ICT learning, entrepreneurship classes, online bill payment system and many more.   

“There are other facilities that I feel will greatly help facilitate the affairs of the surrounding residents, such as company registration (SSM), online tuition classes, health care and classroom rental,” he said.

Yakub said this while speaking at the Closing Ceremony of the Community Day Programme, Kg Pantai Emas Digital Economy Center (PEDi), here, recently.

According to him, the local community around the area needs to take the opportunity and study information technology to advance themselves and their socio-economics.

“With all the facilities provided, I hope that local entrepreneurs around here and our youths especially those who are interested in online business, to seize the opportunity and make this a platform to improve their knowledge and improve their abilities themselves and their respective economies.

“Young people around this area must be smart, use the opportunities and spaces that exist, venture into business online, and use the various social media platforms that are available today.

“For example, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and many more,” he said.

Yakub added that the survival of PEDi in determining the positive impact on society depends on the mastery of knowledge and the quality of teaching staff.

“If trained teaching staff become guides and shape the direction of PEDi here, I am very confident that efforts to transform the local community’s life patterns towards information technology and competitiveness can be realised.

“This can be done with organising various related programmes, continuously and jointly in the future,” he said.

PEDi Kg Pantai Emas is equipped with facilities such as 20 computers, printing machines, complete scanning machines along with wireless internet (Wifi) facilities.

“For all those interested in registering as PEDi members, the registration fee is only RM5 for lifetime membership.

“Once you become a member, you can enjoy many benefits such as discounts on the use of computers, printers and so on.

“Therefore, take this opportunity to register as a member and use the available services to the best of your ability, responsibly,” Yakub said.

The Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has activated 600 PEDi throughout the country as a one-stop centre through programmes organised with various strategic partners.

It aims to help local micro-entrepreneurs adapt digital technology and empower their businesses through the Small Entrepreneur Digital Empowerment Program (PUPUK) initiative.

PEDi acts as a centre that provides Internet access collectively to communities and areas that lack broadband coverage and hones e-commerce business skills.

It also serves to increase community awareness and involvement towards socio-economic stabilisation and human capital empowerment among rural communities and the urban poor.