BARIO, Oct 11: Mulu assemblyman Datuk Gerawat Gala revealed that the Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) Sarawak branch manager and RHB Bank representatives will visit Bario soon to check on the viability to set up automated teller machines (ATMs) here and at Mulu National Park.
In revealing this, Gerawat said, the setting up of an ATM in Bario and Mulu National Park is timely to help spur local economic activities.
“I have been notified that the BNM Sarawak branch manager and RHB Bank representatives will look into how the bank can operate both in Bario and Mulu National Park for the initial stage,” he said in a statement today.
He highlighted this during SMA’s community outreach programme held at the Bario Immigration Border Post community hall here yesterday.
On telecommunication coverage in Bario, Gerawat, who is also Deputy Minister in the Premier of Sarawak’s Office (Labour, Immigration and Project Monitoring), gave assurance that he will try his best to assist the civil service based in Bario to get better coverage for their respective needs such as the Bario Immigration Department Border Post and Bario Health Clinic.
On digital infrastructure, he explained that Mulu constituency will have 54 telecommunication towers which will be implemented in phases with currently more than 30 towers built.
“With better Internet coverage, we will be able to participate in the digital economy to sell our products online. But similar with major infrastructure implementation, it will take time as it requires large amount of allocation.
“But the aspiration of the Sarawak government is to ensure that all Sarawakians will have good access to the Internet as this is part of the government’s digital economy blueprint to ensure Sarawak will achieve developed status by 2030,” he said.
On the acquisition of telecommunication sites in Mulu constituency by the State government, he informed that the land titles will be issued to Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) as the regulatory body for telecommunication in Sarawak.
He said this was crucial so that these telecommunications sites will be properly gazetted and the landowners will be compensated accordingly.
“Once the land is acquired for the telecommunications sites, then proper compensation will be made to the rightful owners. And if the sites are located in communal land, then the compensation will be made to the respective village.
“This due legal process will ensure that the descendants of the current landowners will not claim back the land,” he said.
Present at the function were SMA general manager Ts Dr Zaidi Razak, SMA’s deputy chief scientist and deputy Digital Economy advisor Professor Ts Dr Al-Khalid Othman, telecommunication providers, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) representatives, Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC) representatives, community leaders and local residents. — DayakDaily
