KUCHING, Sept 29: Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg today witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between a Sarawak-based telecommunication company and an information and communication company that is based in Hong Kong during his working visit to Silicon Valley in California.
In their press statement today, Abang Johari said the Mou between PPTelecom Sdn Bhd, Sarawak and PCCW Global of Hong Kong was a private initiative to create a global network connectivity for Sarawak, leveraging on the global infrastructure and the extensive IP network of PCCW Global.
Covering more than 3,000 cities and 150 countries, the PCCW Global network supports a portfolio of integrated global communications solutions that would provide a strong cyber connection between Sarawak and the whole world.
PCCW Global, with a strong presence in the Silicon Valley, is the international operating division of Hong Kong Telecom Ltd (HKT), Hong Kong’s premier telecommunications company that is majority-owned by PCCW Limited.
The MoU was signed yesterday in San Jose near San Francisco. It is primarily to work on the creation of a data centre and cyber protection for Sarawak’s digitisation agenda.
The chief minister and members of his delegation comprising key state government officials arrived in San Francisco on Wednesday for the second leg of a working visit overseas.
Abang Johari, in his address after the MoU signing, said the state government would lend its support accordingly to the collaboration that would connect Sarawak to the three billion consumers in China, India and Asean.
He said Sarawak, with its wealth of renewable power, an abundance of water, strategic central location in Asia and an environment free of pollution and natural disasters, offered a comparatively favourable location for a secured digital highway and an alternative data centre in the region.
Later, Abang Johari and his delegation visited the Plug and Play headquarters in Sunnyvale near San Francisco. There they were given insights into the innovation platform that brings together the best startup and the world’s largest corporations.
Another team from the delegation visited the NVidia headquarters, also in Sunnyvale, to gain insights into AI technology. They were also taken on a tour of the facilities.
The delegation were later entertained to a dinner in Sunnyvale, hosted by the Malaysian diaspora in California. — DayakDaily
