By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Nov 11: Sarawak’s readiness for AI-powered education faces an infrastructure challenge, with 759 schools in the State yet to receive fibre internet connectivity.
Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh said geographical and logistical constraints, particularly in rural and interior areas, remained among the main obstacles to expanding fibre internet coverage in Sarawak.
“Geographical vastness and logistical challenges in interior areas are among the main constraints in implementing fibre internet connectivity, particularly in Sarawak,” he said, as reported by TVS.
He was responding to a question from Nurul Amin Hamid (PN-Padang Terap) during the Dewan Rakyat sitting on the number of schools yet to meet the Education Ministry’s internet speed and stability standards, as well as its preparedness and timeline for implementing digital and AI-based education.
He said 1,180 out of 5,362 schools across six states — Sarawak, Sabah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Kedah — had yet to receive fibre internet connectivity, while the remaining 4,182 schools enjoyed internet speeds ranging from 300 to 800 megabits per second (Mbps).
Despite the absence of fibre connections, he clarified that the affected schools were not without internet access, as alternative connectivity services through wireless broadband and satellite technology had been provided.
Wong said the Education Ministry was implementing its digital education plans in phases under the Digital Education Policy and Malaysia Education Plan 2026–2035.
“For the short-term phase from 2026 to 2027, the ministry is focusing on establishing the foundations of the digital learning ecosystem through the development of the DELIMa 3.0 platform and the implementation of pilot projects for AI-powered classrooms in 27 selected schools,” he added.
The initiative is expected to be expanded gradually between 2028 and 2030, subject to the readiness of educational institutions, including the availability of digital devices, stable internet connectivity, WiFi coverage and improvements in teachers’ digital competencies.
The ministry is targeting more comprehensive implementation of AI-based learning, DELIMa and local area network (LAN) and wide area network (WAN) infrastructure between 2031 and 2035.
On concerns over the misuse of AI to generate indecent images involving students and teachers, Wong said the ministry had finalised its AI Literacy Guidelines to promote responsible and ethical use of the technology.
The guidelines, introduced through Education Ministry Circular No. 2 of 2026, cover four main areas: AI governance, teaching and learning, lifelong learning and AI ethics.
“All four domains are important to ensure that AI technology is used as effectively as possible to assist our children in their learning and is not misused,” he said. — DayakDaily
