By D’Drift Team
SUNGAI ASAP, July 10: Murum assemblyman Kennedy Chukpai Ugon is most willing for his constituency to be chosen as a ‘guinea pig’ for the Starlink pilot project, so long as his constituents can have access to fast internet.
As the elected representative of the Murum constituency, with an area size of 11,000 square kilometres and 124 longhouses scattered throughout the area until the interior, he knew fast internet connectivity was crucial to ensure that his constituents could be on par with those of other constituencies.
That was why he has been trying to bring internet connectivity into his area.
Before the pandemic, he brought 35 Connect Me in 10 localities in Sungai Asap, 27 BWA (broadband wireless access) and about 20 Saluran networks (by Sarawak Multimedia Authority or SMA) to the Murum constituency.
“Murum is the biggest constituency in Sarawak. When there is no road, at least we can have internet connectivity to stay connected,” Chukpai told D’Drift Team.
It was fortunate that he foresaw the importance of internet connectivity and his effort to bring in as much internet connectivity as possible, as it later provided a way for residents of the rural community to stay connected during the pandemic.
“Due to internet connectivity, despite being a rural interior community, Murum was one of the fastest constituencies to deliver food baskets and food aid to all longhouses,” said Chukpai.
It took him two weeks to make preparations and only three days to send out all food baskets to every needy household in Murum.
“I urge the government to give us good connectivity, better than what we have now. I am very much encouraged by Premier (Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri) Abang Johari’s (Tun Openg) vision to be a digitised State. Therefore, I am most willing (for Murum) to be the ‘guinea pig’ for Starlink’s pilot project. If it is available, I would like them to test it in Murum.
“It is also my request to set up a digital village here in Murum. As far as I know, the Premier has approved it. I hope relevant agencies such as SMA and Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation will expedite it,” said Chukpai.
He also expressed his agreement with Abang Johari’s Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 to develop Sarawak into a high-income economy where the game change is digital connectivity.
It was reported that Starlink, a high-speed, low-latency broadband internet provider operated by Elon Musk’s aerospace company SpaceX, plans to expand to Malaysia to enable the country to increase its internet penetration rate, especially in rural areas. — DayakDaily
