kema man smart community

8/17/2019 Kema Man Smart Community

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A MODEL SMART COMMUNITY THE BUILDING BLOCK TOWARDS

A SMART DIGITAL NATION


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KEMAMAN TERENGGANU

Kemaman is a districtin Terengganu, on theeast coast of Malaysiafacing the South ChinaSea. Kemaman districtis bordered by Dungundistrict to the north andthe state of Pahang tothe south and west.It is the southerngateway to the stateof Terengganu.

N 21’ 39.4194” E 15’ 58.9854”

CONTENTS

KEMAMANTERENGGANU1

TRANSFORMING LIVES WITH ICT

PLANNING FOR A SMART COMMUNITY

ASSEMBLING & ORGANISING THE CHAMPIONS

GAIN LOCAL INSIGHT AND SUPPORT

DEVELOP AN OUTREACH PROGRAMME

CREATE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

IDENTIFY & EMPOWER THE CHAMPIONS

ASSESSING COMMUNITY NEEDS

LIFELONG LEARNING

DETERMINING THE PERSONALITY OF THE COMMUNITY

FINDING RESOURCES AND FUNDING

PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABILITY

BRIDGE THE AGE GAP

SUSTAINABLE AND RELEVANT GOALS

BE INCLUSIVE TO MAXIMISE MUTUAL BENEFITS

FIGURING OUT THE TECHNOLOGY

IMPLEMENTING THE SMART COMMUNITY

DEVELOPING POLICIES

PRINCIPLES OF A SMART COMMUNITY

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KEMAMANTERENGGANU5

PLANNING FOR ASMART COMMUNITY

A successful smart community project willchange how we carry out all of the businessof a community. A characteristic common to

smart communities is the use of information andcommunication technology as tools to build the

community and solve community problems. As withany complex process, the best way to begin is by

making a plan, which you will use:

• to determine the tasks necessary foraccomplishing the goals of the project; and

• to establish what resources are needed, andgure out how to obtain them and where and when

to apply them.

DETAILING THE

INITIAL APPROACH

AND ASSESSING

THE COMMUNITY’S

READINESS ON ICT

Mapping strategies andhow best to put theminto action with thekey players and localchampions instrumentalin achieving successfulimplementation.

THE SEED OF

INSPIRATIONCommunicating as a leader is more than merely giving a speech. It is onething to tell people what to do and how to do it. It is quite another to inspirethem to want to do the things that are necessary for their lives.

If there is one characteristic that mostdifferentiates effective leaders fromthe rest of the pack, it is the visionof the future that they provide tothe members of a community. YBhgDato’ Sri Dr Halim Shae, Chairman ofthe Malaysian Communications andMultimedia Commission (MCMC),

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envisioned the development of asmart community as the building blockof a smart digital nation.

“A bottom-up approach, though, maycome across as against the norm interms of development,” he explains,“but it seems to be the more effectiveway of building a smart community.Developing local champions throughthe District Ofcer and the Presidentof the local town council, for example,would help engage a community.

Once the community is engaged,more local champions can be createdthrough teachers, ICT facilitators orvolunteers amongst others.”

The seed of an idea was thus plantedand thereafter grew in the form ofthe Kemaman Smart Community.“The quaint district of Kemaman waschosen as the pilot smart communityproject because of its distance andease of access, not to forget the manyinteresting elements in its favour,”explains Dato’ Sri Dr Halim. “It lendsits geographical landscape to the oiland gas industry on one end and toa more rural shing existence on theother.”

The multiple elements that Kemamanpossesses contribute to its replicabilityfactor. “This will enable us to replicatethe Kemaman Smart Communitymodel in other communities,” DatoSri Dr Halim adds.

Vision 2020 is about developing aknowledge-based and empoweredsociety. “What we are doing is tryingto meet the objectives of Vision 2020.When we talk about a smart nation,

people cannot visualise it. Thatconcept is too macro. When we talkabout a smart community and abouta particular district, especially when itworks, you can immediately see theimpact.”

This initiative undertaken by the

MCMC is based on the concept ofthe delivery of an ICT ecosystem tothe smallest geographic units. Ourstrategy is based on a building blockapproach with each smart communitybeing developed; these blocks areintegrated into the bigger buildingblock, i.e. the district and state they

“Whilst engaging localchampions are important,

working in tandem with strategicindustry partners is essential.”

belong to, hence the buildup ofdigital states and thereon toward thecreation of a digital nation.

Having engaged the cooperation ofthe District Ofcer and the Presidentof the local town council, the projectis well underway. “From the very start,the two of them were engaged in thisconcept. They held a town hall sessionwhere we identied them as thelocal champions and presented theconcept of how we see the KemamanSmart Community coming to fruition.These are senior government ofcersand community leaders. It was nowmore apparent – and critical – toidentify the champions as it is throughthese champions the project wouldprogress. It is also through them thatmultiple champions will emerge.”

It was evident that the Kemamancommunity’s receptiveness of theproject was very high. “Leadership iscrucial in mobilising the community,”

divulged Dato’ Sri Dr Halim. “InKemaman, the leadership as well asthe community were practical andunderstood how technology wouldhelp them progress.”

One of the biggest challenges facedwas when the District Ofcer andthe President of the city board werereassigned out of Kemaman. “Theywere both engaged in the whole smartcommunity concept. We were unsureif their successors would buy into theconcept. Fortunately, the incomingDistrict Ofcer and President wereboth enthusiastic and willing to followthrough. On hindsight, we also realisedthat such changes in the organisationwould be inevitable and therefore it

“I believe that there areopportunities in terms of talentand it’s just a matter of giving

people that opportunity todevelop their potential.”


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was crucial that not only should toplevel management be engaged butthat of the second level too.”

Whilst engaging local championsare important, working in tandemwith strategic industry partners isessential. “The nancing modelis managed through public andprivate funding,” he explains. “Weassessed the available infrastructurein Kemaman and looked into thegaps. We then got industry players to

ll in these gaps. In places which areof commercial interest to them, theywork the infrastructure on their ownwithout funding from us.”

“Some of the areas of infrastructuredevelopment are already underour Universal Service Provision(USP). We then focus on contentdevelopment and adoption. We gotin the innovation exchange centreIKBN. The operations room for oodmanagement is also funded underUSP. The telcos have provided theirexpertise for some of the applicationsand systems.”

Sustainability for a project likethe Kemaman Smart Communityis crucial to ensure its success andits replicability factor. The targetto become a full-edged smartcommunity and a model for thesmart digital nation building block isnot one that can be achieved by end2015. “There has to be continuousfacilitation to ensure its sustainabilityand, in most parts, the results andsuccess rate can only be gauged overtime. Nevertheless, as we move onto other districts, the reference point

will always be Kemaman.”

To ensure the proper implementationof a smart community is carried outsmoothly, a steering committeemonitors this project and meets on aregular basis as well as engages withthe community.

“Technology development is a naturalprocess. Even rural developmentswere exposed to the introduction oftechnology with the internet, television,radio, the phone, etc. Generally, itcan be seen that they have been ableto adapt to these well. These newenablement technologies are goingto help the community without losingwhat is uniquely Kemaman.”

“They will still be doing the samething, for example, selling lemang,but with new technology coming in,there are possibilities that they couldbe more innovative with the way theymake lemang or sell it. The grassroots

will only notice it when it impactsthem. If nothing impacts them, it willbe very difcult for them to see thepossibilities as this is all conceptual.If, for example, we introduce a mobilepayment system to them, and peoplecan pay via this mode, they will beable to realise the benets.”

There’s a lot of participation fromthe community of Kemaman. “Fromthe many activities held at thelibrary and the Hackathon, we weregenerally surprised that the people

“Empowerment of the peoplethrough technology is what we

are working towards.”

here were incredibly receptive andeasy to work with. We were surprisedat the overwhelming response forthe Hackathon which saw a healthyturnout of over 80 participants, someof whom came from as far as Pahang,Penang and Kuala Lumpur, giving riseto the tech tourism.”

“The overall impact will be realisedover time. Take the ICT teachers, forexample. The idea was to have theICT teachers become the champions

given their interaction with the childrenand their parents. The PI1M structurealso endorses the supervisors as localchampions as they engage with thecommunity. We hope the community,in turn, will be engaged in the idea ofa smart community.”

The smart community project is meantto be for the long term. Therefore,processes are created so that it issustainable over a long period of time.“The Kemaman Innovation Centre(KIC) is a facility that is tied up withTelekom Malaysia. It is linked to theTelekom Innovation Exchange in KualaLumpur and therefore becomes part ofthe innovation eco-system. Given that

Telekom Malaysia will be managing itthrough their best practices will furtherenhance the sustainability factor.”

MCMC’s roadmap is the building of asmart nation in line with Vision 2020.“It is indeed a short span of time. Theinfrastructure is at the crux of buildinga smart nation. We are constantlytouching base with industry partnersto determine the investment they arecommitting towards the formationof a smart digital nation over the

next few years. On our side, we willcompliment this through our policydevelopment, facilitation and someaccelerator funds.”

“I have always had a dream that ruralcommunities would be on par withthe urban ones in terms of access tofacilities,” Dato’ Sri Dr Halim divulges.“That’s the reason why we initiatedmany rural programmes. I believethat there are opportunities in termsof talent and it’s just a matter of giving

people that opportunity to developtheir potential. We have to bring thesmart nation concept to the districts.”

On hindsight, this is probably one ofthe most ambitious projects MCMChas undertaken with the hope thatmany more rural districts may betransformed for the greater good ofits people and its future.

“Empowerment of the people throughtechnology is what we are workingtowards. When we meet people whoare using technology for their ownbetterment, we want to help themfeel empowered to take charge of

their lives and surroundings.”


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The smart community conceptwas built upon objectives toencourage the community’sparticipation. One of theobjectives outlined was

the need to change andimprove the community’slifestyle through the useof ICT applications. Thecommunity would endeavorto learn through e-learningcapabilities, publish learningmaterial through e-publishingand produce Kemaman’svery own collection usingthe e-studio application andbe included or participate ingrowing global informationresources.

In addition, the concept is tobring a rural community likeKemaman on par or higherthan the urban communities atthe state or international level.Through this, homegrownentrepreneurial opportunitieswill be made available.

Local businesses and foodwill be promoted across theboundaries of this quaint town.

The introduction of the

smart community conceptcan be mutually benecialthrough the use of high speedbroadband services. Throughhigh volume usage, attractionssuch as turtle rehabilitationcentres and the beaches canbe promoted widely bringingmore tourists, scientists andconservationists to Kemaman.

The smart community conceptcould also encourage creativityand innovation within thecommunity of Kemaman. Thiswould in turn, also encourageactive participation andvolunteerism from the peopletowards building their smartcommunity.

THE OBJECTIVES OF ASMART COMMUNITY


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ASSEMBLING& ORGANISING

THE CHAMPIONSGetting the right people involved and usingthe right strategies to get them involved willgauge the success of the implementation of a

smart community.

WORK WITH

COMMUNITY

LEADERSHIP

Working in tandem with the communityleader eases communicative barriers as well

as driving the smart community to achieveintended goals within a stipulated time

frame. The community leader’s buy in to thesmart community concept is crucial to its

success as his commitment will pave the wayto sustainability in the long term.

READY FOR

CHANGEKemaman is fortunate to be chosen as the first SmartCommunity, says Kemaman District Officer, Dato’ Mohd Rozali Salleh. He elaborates on the locals’reactions and responses.

When trying to get the opinion ofthe man on the street, sometimes aninformal setting is required. It couldbe as casual as bantering over acup of teh tarik at the stalls; to hearwhat they have to say when they areat ease. They tend not to hold back,as opposed to feeling intimidatedduring, say, a formal meeting

In this context, the subject matter isICT; in what areas can the villagers gainby going digital. More feedback can

be gathered. More will be disclosed.

This is just one of the ways to gaugethe needs and wants of a community;ranging from matters to do withinfrastructure to conveniences.“Through personal experiences, plussurveys and questions posed to villagecommittees (Jawatankuasa Kampungor JKK),” says Kemaman DistrictOfcer, Dato’ Mohd Rozali Salleh.

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There are also money scams thatcome with ‘sad stories’ targeting thevulnerable. For those who don’t knowany better, they will feel compelled to‘donate’.

“Actually, we can nd anything, bothinformation and misinformation, whenwe search the Internet,” says Dato’Rozali. “But whatever that comes tous uninvited, it is up to us to decidewhether to accept it or not. One needsto be digitally literate.”

ICT in Kemaman is motivating peopleto move forward, but they must beresponsible enough to care for theironline safety and security. Becauseof these Internet threats, a nationalonline safety campaign was launchedin schools with the tagline, ‘Klik dengan Bijak’ (Click Wisely).

“Children being children, they mayturn a deaf ear. Perhaps we needsomething more creative to makethem stop surng negative content.Perhaps a ‘monster’ gure thatappears on the screen the minutea child opens a damaging website,or something of that nature. We

must always think outside the box,”suggests Dato’ Rozali.

So far, whenever the SmartCommunity modules arrive at anyplace in Kemaman despite theirdoubts, the locals welcome the

change. Response is good. To date,no one has come forward to discreditthis pro ject, or complain that it doesn’tdo them any good. It’s safe to say thatall walks of life in Kemaman know theobjective of the project and realisethat it can only be benecial.

RIPPLES OF CONCERNWhat will happen to printers andpaper suppliers if everything canbe found online, like e-newspapersand e-books? Let’s take a look at anexample. In today’s modern times, wemay have smartphones and laptops,but certain things like movies – are stillmovies. But there is innovation. Noweven movies have gone digital.

“Whatever trade we are in, could still

“If you are in an industry that isno longer relevant to the era, atransformation is due to remain

relevant.”

be relevant with the coming of ICT, butchange is needed in order to cater tothe ever-changing consumer market,”says Dato’ Rozali.

“If you are in an industry that isno longer relevant to the era, atransformation is due to remainrelevant. When the transformationhappens, development is inevitable.

You have no option but to move withthe times. Evolution is necessary.”

AGE IS JUST A NUMBERThe people behind the KemamanSmart Community Project thought ofeverything and everyone. No one isleft out in a project as signicant asthis. Even the veterans and the elderlyare exposed to ICT.

Campaigns on ICT could be held inmosques where the elderly crowdare. There could be computers andInternet connection for the oldergeneration so they are exposed to ICT.“We only need to know where they arein order to deliver the same messagedelivered to others,” explains Dato’Rozali. Likewise, this practice is alsothe role of community centres.

A WORTHWHILE INVESTMENT“It is an honour for Kemaman to beselected for this project. The budgetmay be substantial but Kemamanneeds to invest. This ICT plan,especially one that is tailored for thisdistrict, will push Kemaman’s agendato become a Smart Community, furtherdeveloping its businesses, amongother areas,” Dato’ Rozali elaborates.

There is also a budget allocated by the

MCMC to kick-start this project. Apartfrom that, there are also resourcescoming from various industry playersin Kemaman. With Kemaman beinga centre of ICT, industries will beupgraded and can only stand to gain.

“As for this district ofce, we contributein kind. For example, we support thiscause by allowing our premise tobe used as a venue for ICT-relatedactivities, at no charge,” adds Dato’Rozali.

“We want Kemaman to haveeverything that benets the locals; forexample – a modern infrastructure,because that goes hand-in-hand withICT implementation,” he says further.

The small town of Chukai, which is thecentre of administration for Kemaman,is the rst to boast 4G LTE coverage;LTE stands for Long-Term Evolution,which is a standard for wirelesscommunication with high-speeddata for mobile phones. Other thanKemaman, the only other area thathas this privilege is the Klang Valley.Indeed, Kemaman is taken seriouslyas an ICT-relevant town.

“Kemaman is really lucky to be chosenas the rst to participate in a projectof such importance,” says Dato’Rozali. “On behalf of the communityin Kemaman, I would like to thankMCMC for choosing our district tobecome a model Smart Community.”

And with the people’s cooperation,success will follow and results willshow.


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The nucleus of a smart community hasto be in place to enable various formsof economic and social development.

GAIN LOCAL

INSIGHT AND

SUPPORTSMARTSUPPORTIn support of the Kemaman Smart Community project,Director of the Kemaman Local Council (Majlis PerbandaranKemaman/MPK), Ahmad Sheikh Abdul Rahim, discloses thecouncil’s role regarding cellular infrastructure.

Turning the whole of Kemaman into a freeWi-Fi district is not impossible. The mostimportant part of this journey of digitalprogress is the starting point. And thestarting point comes from the KemamanSmart Community. Step by step, thisproject brings full-on ICT to a districtthat was once somewhat isolated fromICT conveniences. Today, the peopleof Kemaman embrace the change theyare beginning to experience. All that ismissing is some awareness of how muchICT can change their lives.



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TAILORED FOR THE PEOPLEOne of the most requested ICTservices that the Kemaman communityis clamouring for are mobile lifestyleApps. An App can be sophisticated

and offer a myriad of interactivecommands but if it doesn’t full theneeds of the people, it becomesredundant.

“What Kemaman needs are Apps thatcan help the people, for example,an App for ood-monitoring. Whenall other means of communicationchannels are cut off during a ood,this App can set off ood alerts orrecord visuals of ood areas to informothers about ood locations. Now,that would be a very useful App; very

relevant to Kemaman,” says Directorof the Kemaman Local Council, AhmadSheikh Abdul Rahim.

Apart from ood alerts, the other

priority area for digitalisation istourism. There is so much thatKemaman can offer. “Our zoo, satar, beaches, waterfalls. Did you know thatKemaman has reies?” asks AhmadSheikh rhetorically.

Where agriculture is concerned,mushrooms are slowly taking the placeof a booming agricultural product.Other than looking to expand themarket via online means, a mushroomfarm can also be a tourist attraction.Through Apps on Kemaman tourism,



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visitors can take a tour of themushroom farm, get information onmushroom farming and of course, buyfresh mushrooms straight from thesource. The possibilities are endless.

EXPANDING IDEAS

On a heavier industry scale, Kemamanalso has oil and gas. Through theWorld Wide Web, this industry can befurther developed and bring foreigninvestors to Kemaman.

Two months ago, there was acompetition to create Apps called aHackathon. It was to unearth talentsfor creating Apps and to see how

benecial their ideas were. Thiscompetition was very well received.“There was even a family who workedon their idea with so much commitmentand enthusiasm, they didn’t even gohome until the next day,” says AhmadSheikh, both impressed and amused.

Other App ideas that can be very usefulto the people of Kemaman includea parking space App. In Kemaman,more people drive than take publictransport. So an App that can point

out locations of available parking lotsand can sync with mobile phones willbe appreciated (even Klang Valleyhas not developed this yet). Perhapsalso a surau App to inform of surauactivities or prayer times for the day.Or perhaps even a JPJ App that cantell you how long a queue is beforeyou reach the service counter. Andbecause Kemaman has many eateries,a restaurant App would make sense.Customers can view menus and orderahead, or even reserve a table or two.

“MPK knows the grouses of thecommunity,” says Ahmad Sheikh.“When you develop an App, you mustrst know the needs and wants of the

local people.”

CONTENT IS EVERYTHINGA town without content is a verylonely town, and that certainly doesnot translate into a Smart Communitycomponent. Content is vital. Withoutit, what is there to feed the ICTchannels? Ahmad Sheikh suggested

“When you develop an App, youmust rst know the needs and

wants of the local people.”

“An App can be sophisticatedand offer a myriad of interactive

commands but if it doesn’tfull the needs of the people, it

becomes redundant.”

seminars or workshops to teachbusiness owners how to developcontent, perhaps through their ownblog spots or Facebook.

Ahmad Sheikh gives an exampleof the teachers who are trained inICT. He refers to them as ‘agentsof transformation’; to learn, impartknowledge and pass it down to society.Although ICT skills can be taught, asbusiness owners, content is theirs toshape.

“Whether you are a homestayoperator or a keropok lekor maker,take this opportunity to promotewhat you can offer, on ICT avenuessuch as Facebook or Google Plus,”stresses Ahmad Sheikh. “People atthe grassroots level must see howimportant ICT is; otherwise they willnot be motivated to learn about it.They must know about the good thatICT can do for them. In my opinion,the structure of this project works fromthe bottom-up.”

SLOWLY BUT SURELY The vast extent of what communicationdevices (smartphone, tablet and

computer) can do are not maximisednor fully utilised, even if everyonehas an average of two or threecommunication devices each in thisdistrict. Features on a communicationdevice aren’t a problem with theyounger generation (who seem tobe born with intrinsic technologicalknowledge!). It is the older generationwho need more exposure. When theydo get exposure, there may be someimpatience when lines or broadbandaccess and speed are slow.

To gauge how effective these ICTprojects have been, the public’sresponse is an indication. “Just switchon your hand phone and test itsconnections. Look at the power baror try to make a call or get online.This is a true measure of how far wehave got to go. So far, blind spots arestill a problem as these areas have noInternet access at all. Just like us, theytoo have to be connected.”

For MPK itself, it has slowly becomedigital prior to the Smart Communitylaunch. This would pertain moreto their internal use, such as MPK’saccounts and nances. Besidesthat, MPK has also gone digital withProperty Assessment Tax (Cukai Pintu) as well as rentals.

However, not everything can go online.When it concerns high-risk licenses, itis not advisable to go digital.

Since MPK has its own plans and theSmart Community has another plan –how is there synergy between the two?“Both can run parallel. What we do

is widen roads, beautify landscapes,and widen drains but with the SmartCommunity plan, MPK can lend rmsupport. We are still the only body thatapproves the project infrastructure,”discloses Ahmad Sheikh. “The timefor ICT is inevitable. We still have toget on board. We will still move withICT, whether we want to or not. InKemaman, this is exactly what ourpeople have been waiting for.”

“The time for ICT is inevitable.”


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Developing an outreach programmethat garners the interest of the peopleand keeps them engaged as well ascommitted towards enhancing thesmart community concept.

DEVELOP AN

OUTREACH

PROGRAMME

A VILLAGE

EMPOWEREDTe residents of Kampung Gong Chengal, once a remote fishing village, now enjoy high speed Internet access thatis making a significant difference to their lives.

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“I remember a pakcik (elderly man) whowas a little nervous about using a mouse.He wasn’t sure about moving it around,much less how it works as a cursor,”relates Nini Faressa Baharuddin, Managerof Pusat Internet 1Malaysia (PI1M) in

Kampung Gong Chengal, Kemaman. TheInternet centre Nini manages serves asan information, training and learning hubfor those who want to learn about ICT.

“The pakcik comes to our trainingsessions regularly. The more he learned,the more excited he became about usingthe computer,” says Nini. These weregood signs showing a desire for self-betterment and ICT-competency. “Thatwas about seven months ago.”

Now, not only does the pakcik know howto use the computer, he is condent in

using the Internet too. “He loves surngfrom site to site; mostly websites to dowith news and politics. At any one time,he always has multiple windows open,”says Nini, sounding awed by the changesshe sees in her village elders.

GETTING CONNECTEDKampung Gong Chengal is a shingvillage east of Kemaman. Some 25 percent of the people in this village owncomputers. However, Internet access wasnot something they had before

PI1M Gong Chengal opened inDecember last year. The MCMC, beingthe project owner of the KemamanSmart Community, engaged DIGITelecommunications to power up theInternet connection in Kampung GongChengal. DIGI is the designated service

provider for Kemaman district.

Mohd Fairose Harun of the StrategicStakeholder Management of DIGITelecommunications Sdn Bhd (EasternRegion), says, “When the KemamanSmart Community Project started,we were more than happy to supportthis government initiative. Bringingthe Internet to small communities likeKampung Gong Chengal, can reallymake a difference to the locals. Now, justlike any other tech-savvy community, theresidents in Kampung Gong Chengal can

put their businesses online, give theirproducts a ‘louder voice’ and reach outto markets they never thought possible.”

SHARING BENEFITSTo city folks, things like setting up onlinebusinesses, communicating on Facebookor clicking on Wikipedia for generalinformation, might not be a big deal. Buthere in Kampung Gong Chengal, Internetaccess is a privilege. It is appreciated andutilised fully.

Says Nini regarding her village folks, “InGong Chengal, about 25 per cent of thevillagers own computers. But the problemhas always been Internet connection. Weused to go to the cyber cafes in town, thenearest of which was 10km away. Now

that we have PI1M, we are not the onlyones that benet from it; other nearbyvillages use its services too.”

NEVER TOO LATE TO LEARNManager and assistant manager of PI1MGong Chengal respectively, Nini andAthirah, are daughters of the village.

“At the centre, we hold classes that teachpeople basic ICT skills. We welcomevolunteers too, if they have computer/Internet knowledge and can share it withthe rest of the villagers,” Nini discloses.“It’s a good feeling to be contributing

to people we have known all our lives;family and friends too. As a residentof Kampung Gong Chengal, I can saythat this ICT exercise is tightening ourcommunity ties.”

So far, Nini and Athirah see people ofdifferent ages frequenting the Internetcentre. Primary school students go thereto play online games; older kids go thereto do their homework or revision; whileadults source for hobby-based contentsuch as recipes and home improvement.Because books can be expensive, e-books

are quite popular with the Internet users

“To city folks, things likesetting up online businesses,

communicating on Facebook orclicking on Wikipedia for generalinformation, might not be a big

deal. But here in Kampung GongChengal, Internet access is a

privilege.”


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here especially the huge e-book resourcesfrom the national library (www.pnmdigital.gov.my). They can also borrow books onlinefrom seven consortium libraries under theU-Pustaka portal. Social media websites likeFacebook are extremely popular.

The centre opens every day from 9am to6pm, except on public holidays. Apartfrom computers, Internet connection and

a comfortable set-up, the centre is alsoequipped with a scanner, a printer and anauto-block censorship system “…we don’twant any hanky-panky going on here.”

To keep the PI1M buzz going, Nini andAthirah organise simple ICT-related eventssuch as online colouring contests andtreasure hunts where participants must lookfor answers online.

SIGN UP FOR THE INTERNETSigning up for a PI1M lifetime membershipcosts only RM5. From then on, members arecharged only RM1 for an hour’s use of the

Internet, while non-members are chargedRM2.

Trainings, however, are free of charge.Since the classes started in February thisyear, the villagers’ response have been veryencouraging.

“We would get at least 10 people in eachclass and that we consider good,” saysNini. As for what is being taught, contentcan range from getting to know thecomponents of a computer to learning howto use Microsoft Ofce. Other times, thereare also classes on entrepreneurship too.Just to gauge how effective the classes havebeen, Nini and Athirah test their students.“They’re not ofcial tests,” says Nini as shesmiles. “But it’s important to us because we

just want to know how much benet theparticipants get out of this class; how much

“‘User-friendly’ can be a

subjective term.”

they understand and if they can apply whatthey have learnt.”

HANDPICKED FOR PROGRESSInformation and CommunicationTechnology (ICT) is no longer anintimidating term to those who are ICT-illiterate. Today, everyone, regardless ofage, realise that possessing ICT skills isa plus. It is not just something for ofces

and learning institutions but is also avital tool to develop businesses; anybusiness, whether it is satar (sh pastewrapped in banana leaves and grilled)or stew.

On a smaller scale but needing theInternet nevertheless, is an App thatalmost everyone relies on these days:WhatsApp. Still, ‘user-friendly’ can be asubjective term. An introduction as wellas an induction is needed in order toswitch one from SMS to WhatsApp.

Nini puts in her last comment, “We are

thankful that we have been chosen asone of the Wi-Fi hotspots. This gives usaccess to free Wi-Fi.

A member of the village committee(Jawatankuasa Kampung or JKK),Haji Mustafa, came to us one day. Heextended his hand and shook ours andthanked us personally for bringing theInternet to Kampung Gong Chengal.

FORWARD HO!Not many in Kampung Gong Chengalknow how to use the computerefciently, much less the Internet,although this is now considered a work-in-progress. “Our lives are simple,”says Nini. “But we know that we can domore by keeping up with technologicaladvancement. And that’s what we planto do.”


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By creating strategic partnershipswith stakeholders, you ensurecontinued, vested interest in sustainingenhancement strategies that helpeducate and increase the people’sknowledge and ultimately willingnessto participate in the smart communityconcept.

CREATE STRATEGIC

PARTNERSHIPS

AHEAD IN

INNOVATION“It’s amazing,” says the Head of Innovation Exchange of elekom Malaysia(MIX), Ash Ali. He relates how two or more heads can change the world!

Cooperation is everything.

Telekom Malaysia InnovationExchange (TMIX) is part of TM’sinnovation agenda. It is an acceleratorprogramme with two main objectives.Firstly, to internally drive innovation,creativity and entrepreneurship withinTM. Secondly, to maximise and seeother opportunities in the market thatcan be capitalised. Basically, it is THE

hub that focuses on being innovative.“Innovations are low amongGovernment Linked Companies(GLCs), with very low innovativecapacities. To address this, there mustbe an innovation platform,” explainsAsh Alwi who heads TMIX.



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UPSCALE AND MOTIVATE“We bring technology to suburbanareas in order to enhance lives but wecan’t do that immediately. We can’ttell people to forget about the satarthey are selling and urge them tobecome tech-entrepreneurs instead.

You can’t just go up to someone andsay, ‘Makcik , let’s go global!’” saysAsh. “The message that we are tryingto relay to people is to not be afraidof technology. Embrace technology.”

As far as the Kemaman SmartCommunity goes, TM aims to positionKemaman as its east coast innovationhub. “What we are looking for aretalents to full a higher agenda,” addsAsh. “We are also looking to upscalethe young people; to inspire themthrough our programmes and bring intop mentors to motivate them.”

“TMIX partners with Institut KemahiranBelia dan Negara (IKBN) where weleverage on their student network.It’s a collaboration to brainstormbusiness ideas, run entrepreneurshiplessons on branding as well as trainingprograms.”

In the Kemaman Smart Communityproject, there are activities beingput into place such as the Hackathonwhere the participants will developmobile Apps within 24 hours. andApptersboss. TM provides the internetconnecting them.

REAL LIVES AHEADAsh relates his experience during theHackathon, “There was a group ofboys whom I had just met. Just chillingin the backyard of the Hackathon

venue. One was a barber, oneoperates heavy machinery and theother one owns a small shop doinggeneral electrical repairs. Who knewthat three random young men cangather and learn about developingan idea in one night.”

This fulls the aim of this App-designcompetition, which is to unearthideas from otherwise hidden talents.Once you have an idea, people gettogether and cooperation begins.

Once you get going, it can beaddictive; because you want youridea to fully materialise. “In anotherinstance, another team consisted ofa mother, a brother and a sister. Theyworked round the clock on their idea,which was really interesting. TheirApp was called Virtual Pasar Tani.”says Ash.

PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONSThe ideas that people get sometimesdepend on their surroundings, theirexperiences, what they see, hear,touch, feel and do. In Kemaman, whatis important to its community may notbe at all similar to what is importantto those in the city. “Real people

build things that are benecial totheir community. That’s the differenceI see compared to people in the city,”says Ash.

“You must have that burning idea.If you have a solid idea, technologyis secondary. The important thing is– what are you trying to solve? Mosttimes, people focus on technology,but that is not the issue here. That isthe means to get to where you wantto go.”

The idea was the most importantthing that judges looked out for andthere were guides to help executetheir ideas. “When it comes totechnology, people on the eastcoast are sometimes looked uponas lacking in skills. In actuality, theyare ahead in their level of maturity,coding, tenacity and most of all, theyare inspired,” Ash comments.

Being inspired is something thatis hard to come by when yoursurrounding provides you with

everything that you need; moderninfrastructure and conveniences.When people have everything, theytend to take things for granted.They will appreciate things thatthey never had. That is why theapproach to something as commonas the Internet, differs from personto person. It depends on whereyou live, who your friends are, whatyou do for a living, your purchasingpower and such.

During the Hackathon, TMIX doesnot intrude in the competitionprocess. There are guides to helpthe competitors along but only ifthey ask for help.

“You must have that burning idea.If you have a solid idea, technology

is secondary.


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Managing volunteers who will workat the grassroots level to engagethe interest of the people andcommunicate as well as educate themabout the benets of living in a smartcommunity and all it has to offer isessential for the project’s success.

IDENTIFY &

EMPOWER THE

CHAMPIONS CREATIVITY THROUGH

ICTGoing digital is not just about IC. It is also about creativity

and self-expression. We speak to Kemaman’s AssistantEducation District Officer, Encik Abdul Ghani Samad, who isin charge of IC engagement among educators and students.

Earlier this year, there wasan Internet Safety Forumorganised by the KemamanEducation Council. This forumon cyber-safety was heldespecially for managementlevel employees. “Thereare Internet users whoare not aware of potentialdangers online,” says Abdul

Ghani Samad, AssistantEducation District Ofcerof the Kemaman EducationCouncil. “For instance, whenthey receive a le, they willimmediately click on it andopen it. The risk of a computervirus infecting their devicedoesn’t even come to mind.”



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THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAININGIgnorance of Internet safety can bemade even worse if there is no virusprevention software installed. “Thereis always that notion that a mishap ofany kind ‘will not happen to me’, untilit’s too late,” comments Ghani.

He adds that posting comments onsocial media is another cause forconcern. “They must understand thatwhatever they post on Facebook orTwitter will have repercussions,” he

says, clearly concerned. “So we mustinform them of certain guidelines; theDos and Don’ts of Internet usage.”

Safety training is an example ofthe kind of projects that Ghaniundertakes in his current role asAssistant Education District Ofcer, aposition he has held since 2009. In hiswork capacity, he ensures a workinginfrastructure in matters to do withICT education in Kemaman. He isalso responsible for disseminatingICT knowledge to students and

teachers, the latter being listed ina database of ICT educators. Ghaniis also a committee member of theKemaman Smart Community. Heworks closely with other Kemamangovernment departments inexecuting programmes under theSmart Community umbrella.

HIGH HOPES“This Kemaman Smart CommunityProject is something that will shapeour future generation. God willing, in

three years, the citizens of Kemamanwill be completely ICT-savvy,” saysGhani, with optimism in his voice.“Since the oods last year, we haverebuilt much of our infrastructureand logistics, as well as restored ournances. Our raw materials keep usaoat; steel, petrol, and palm oil. Asfor the people in Kemaman, they area resilient community. They turn lifechallenges into catalysts that keepthem moving forward.”

In Kemaman, the locals welcomeconstructive changes with openarms. They naturally want to upskillthemselves, which also pertains toknowledge in ICT. Turning this districtinto a Smart Community hub will notbe an overnight task but once thecommunity is equipped with the rightskills, Kemaman will be a digital hub tobe reckoned with.

The rst step in educating people is to

“Whatever is posted onFacebook or Twitter will have

repercussions.”train the educators; from teachers tostudents, leading to more generationsof ICT-savvy individuals. It is clearthat this Smart Community projectis not a one-off exercise; instead, itis one of continuous engagementand facilitation that will benet thecommunity for years to come.

TRAIN AND COMPETETo kick-start ICT training for teachers,a competition in digital design is

being held between schools. It isa collaborative effort between theNational Book Council, the MCMCand the Kemaman Public Library.“Every school has a yearbook. In thiscompetition, participants have beenasked to design their yearbook inthe form of an e-magazine,” explainsGhani.

For the purpose of this competition,the state government purchaseda software called e-media; an

investment based on condence,in order to develop Kemaman intoan ICT-savvy community. With thissoftware, participants can produceexciting and interactive layouts fortheir e-magazine.

All 70 government schools inKemaman are included in thisprogramme; 47 from the secondarysegment and 23 from the primarysegment. Two teachers from eachschool were sent for training on

how to use the e-media software.The teachers are those who have afair background on computers (ICTteachers), although only four schoolshave ICT as an exam subject. Therest of the schools regard ICT as anextracurricular activity.

“From these schools, we set up aTelegram Group of 140 people. Theyconsist of ICT teachers and 15 ofcersfrom our education department,”says Ghani. Each teacher is assignedone student to assist them during thecompetition. “Through this group,all of us are connected. We all shareinformation, exchange notes, giveconstructive criticism on anything

to do with our e-media trainingprogramme and the competition.”

The rst training session was carriedout in May this year. It was tointroduce and expose participantsto the new software; using e-mediato create magazine pages. As forthe second training session held

“The rst step in educatingpeople is to train the educators.”


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the following month, this was whenparticipants got more time for a Q&Awith their instructors. During thistime, the committee merely observedthe participants and their work-in-progress. Both sessions involved thesame participants.

INDEPENDENT MINDSThe teacher-student teams are given tillAugust to complete their e-magazineassignment. The winner will be pickedbased on the most creative design.

“From the second training sessionin June, we leave them be. They arefree to go their own way until we seethem again in August with their nalproduct,” assures Ghani.

The project requires participants toproduce at least 20 pages of content inthree months. “There was one schoolthat started out with ve pages but bythe time their teachers attended thesecond session, they had completedmore than 20 pages.”

It is a bit early to know the outcomeof these training sessions. But as faras response goes, the teachers wereenthusiastic and cooperative. They are

ICT teachers after all, most of whomalready possess a raw interest in thisarea. “In fact, I know teachers who areextremely passionate about ICT somuch so that they would actually forkout their own money to attend ICTseminars and workshops,” Ghani sayswith an amused tone. “They are thesame ones other teachers would seekfor advice on ICT!”

MAGAZINE VS E-MAGAZINEBesides an avenue for more

creativity, there are other benetsof an e-magazine compared to ahard copy version. A yearbook is abumper publication that could use upcountless bales of paper. That aloneis already a matter which we all needto be concerned about, as it involvesour environment. Meanwhile, a digitalmagazine requires no paper at all.

Another plus point of an e-magazineis that it is portable. It allows you toread your magazine anywhere; via

your tablet, laptop or smartphone.

A hard copy magazine also tendsto be a bit unexciting compared to

an e-magazine where you can addsound effects, colour bursts and more.Compared to a hard copy version,the e-magazine can also be moreinteractive with the inclusion of videoand audio les.

On top of all that, a paperlessmagazine costs a lot less than ahard copy product. That is a savingof about RM15 for each household.

It may seem like a small amount tosome of us, but there are householdsin remote Kemaman that make onlyRM300 to RM500 a month. Despitetheir situation, their children still havea right to an education.

MORE IN STOREHave you ever heard of a school withonly eight teachers and 17 students?

That is a great teacher-student ratiobut these schools exist for a practicalreason. Because the nearest publicschool is located hundreds of milesaway; it is not a journey that is practicalor affordable for the villagers. Thatbeing the case, villages situated withina similar radius, converge and starttheir own school. It runs just the sameas other public schools. Only numbersdiffer. In Kemaman, there are eight or

nine of these special schools. If theyhave less than 150 students they arecalled SKM (Sekolah Kurang Murid)which literally means ‘school withfew students’. “There is one SKM inKemaman with no UPSR candidatesthis year. But next year, the school hasone,” relates Ghani. “…so next year,the teachers are hoping for a 100 percent passing rate.”

In cases such as these, the idea of acyber-classroom becomes something

that should be taken seriously. Aslong as there is Internet connection,there will be education for all. Onlinelearning is not new but it certainly is ifyou have only just been introduced tothe World Wide Web.

In 2009, students were given e-booksto use in schools. Before the arrivalof the e-books, broadband usagewas only up 30 to 40 per cent, but in2012, broadband usage increased to72 per cent. The programmes underthe Kemaman Smart Communityproject today can further increase thatpercentage until everyone gets thebenet of the Internet.

Eventually, the long term aim of thisproject is for students to be exposedto digital interactivity, a paperlessenvironment and awareness that theworld can indeed be their oyster.“When they realise that what theydo can be shared with the rest of theworld via the Internet, they will striveto be the best,” says Ghani. “Andthat’s the kind of spirit that will makethe Kemaman Smart Community asuccess.”

“The long term aim of thisproject is for students to be

exposed to digital interactivity,a paperless environment andawareness that the world can

indeed be their oyster.”


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ASSESSINGCOMMUNITY NEEDS

Understanding the community entails understanding it in anumber of ways. It’s important to understand the specic

community you’re concerned with. You have to get to knowits people – their culture, their concerns, and relationships –

and to develop your own relationships with them as well.

From assessing the community background, its needs can

be addressed either through a town hall session or survey.From here, community issues that are a burden and in some

way may jeopardise the full implementation of a smartcommunity should be addressed.

Once the needs and issues faced by the community areaddressed, the technology that is being introduced can help

eradicate those issues or assist in the sustainability of thesmart community project.

FLOOD

MANAGEMENTAddressing

a major issuefaced by the

community andusing technology

to eradicateor lessen the

burden causedby it.

WATER BOUNDComing together as one community, the people of Kemaman prove that theyare self-sufficient when it comes to managing a community crisis.

Everyone you speak to in Kemamanseems to bring up the ood of 2013.It was a horric experience for allof Kemaman as they were caughtunawarem of the height of thewaters that was to engulf their entirehomes and belongings. Their lossesamounted to a lot but they didn’t giveup.

In 2014, they were prepared. Thistime, they had deployment plans put

down and had set up ood operationscentres and mobilisation centres fortheir community. The people werewell informed and mobilised from theget go without any hesitation. It wasbecause of their sense of communityand their willingness to come togetheras one and help themselves, that theyreceived a gold award of recognitionfrom the Prime Minister, Dato’ SeriNajib Tun Razak.



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In the wake of the oods and itsdevastation to their homes andlivelihoods, the community ofKemaman, together with MCMC,has created the Flood Managementsystem.

The system is a working outline andtactical ood management systemthat covers pre-ood, during the oodand post ood management.

The Pre-Flood system has thecommunity register themselves viatheir mobile phones or the Internet.They are then able to receive real-time information as well as oodsafety measures that they should take.There are applications that cater toood management that is availablefor free. These applications help thecommunity in their preparedness as

well as being constantly informedof the situation around them. Theyare also given a card that dictatestheir ood mobilisation centres,logistics, asset transfers and foodand necessities. The people are eveninformed of higher grounds wherethey can park their cars on.

During the ood, the Tactical Marqueeis erected. Real time updates on thewater levels are delivered from theKemaman District and Land ofce.The Ops Room to manage disasterrelief efforts will also come into effect.

The registration of victims and thedistribution of ood aid are managedas well as rescue operations aredeployed. At all times, there isdistribution of information withregards to safe travel, unaffected

areas suitable for travel as well asdistribution of relief aid from outsidesources.

The Post Flood system sees that theSOP is activated for each agency orservice provider. It is also at this juncturethat the initial clean-up of the areastarts. Relief aid from the governmentor private sectors is distributed. Lastly,the estimation of loss of public andprivate assets is ascertained.

The ood situation is not one to goaway any time soon, but having thissystem in place will lessen the burdenon the community as well as keeptheir losses to a minimum. Today,

the community is ood-preparedand ready to embrace the year-endchallenges that the monsoon seasonbrings. Homes are built on concrete

stilts whilst important belongings arekept on ceiling-height shelves wherethe water can’t get to them

It is a challenge, but the communityhas got it gured out. Helpingthemselves and becoming self-sufcient has made them all thetougher in the face of disaster. Withone voice, the community strives fora better tomorrow – one that may justbe ood free.

SYSTEM &INFRASTRUCTURE

COMMAND CENTER

WARNING & ALERT

REPORTINGDO

A

B

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AGENCIES /STAKEHOLDER

TACTICALCENTRE

WARNING & ALERT

System integratesdata from variousagencies andforward forvalidation

• To approve and valid data• Info will be forwarded to

relevant agencies• Coordinate and initiate

alert and SOP

• SMS Blast• Activation of District

operation center• Activate SOP base on

alert level

• Damage Report &Cost Estimates

• Coordination of early relief- food

- Beverages• logistics managemen• Coordination of rescue

operations

• Open portal

• Mobile Apps

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Ensuring that the communitycomprising of different age groupsand tech capabilities, is ready toembrace technology and use it to itsfull potential.

LIFELONG

LEARNING

IS POWERKNOWLEDGE

Te more informed a community, the more theycan do with their lives. Kemaman Public Library’s Assistant Librarian, Kamarudin Ismail, elaborateson the various IC-related activities under theKemaman Smart Community Project.

“Actually, there are so many occasionsthat call for a library’s participation,”says Kamarudin Ismail, who speakson behalf of the Kemaman PublicLibrary. He cites the ‘World BookDay’, ‘Copyright Day’, ‘MerdekaReading Month’ and many more.“During these occasions, we carry outprogrammes that sync with our role asa public facility,” says Kamarudin whois Assistant Librarian at this districtlibrary.

As the current head of this ofce, his

job requires him to administrate, planbudgets and carry out policies thatcome from the Terengganu PublicLibrary ofce. He is also responsiblefor the number of visitors that utilisethe library, as well as the activities itorganises. These include exhibitions,demonstrations and workshops.

With regards to the Kemaman SmartCommunity Project, Kamarudin’s roleis to build ties between the libraryand the Kemaman community viathe use of digital technology. Before

the start of the Smart CommunityProject, the library would promote thehabit of reading and hold education-related activities. With the arrival ofthe Smart Community Project, onemore component is added to that list– using ICT as a means of buildinga productive network among thepeople of Kemaman. “Even the mereuse of WhatsApp and emails canmake a difference in the extent of ourcommunication with one another,”says Kamarudin, who was born andbred in Kemaman.

MCMC has given out tools to theiragents of change, such as theKemaman Public Library. Amongthe tools are; an e-magazine, a 3-Dprinter, Lego programme, besides theU-Pustaka and access to the NationalDigital Library.



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BUILDING MINDSThere have been many district projectsand competitions that require youngparticipants to take part in colouring,writing, and at the most creative –puppeteering. However, a districtprogramme that involves building

blocks is a new thing to the children;they are absolutely awed by it. Andthe fact that is it Lego? They love it.“Before this project came along, Legowas something they eyed in toy stores.Now, they get to play with Lego bricksfor free. And at the same time, theylearn about science, technology andmathematics,” says Kamarudin, whoorganised visits to pre-schools andkindergartens to promote the Legoprogramme.

An example of how the programme

educates is the construction of aLego spinning top. The children areinstructed to count how many secondsit takes to make the top spin. Next,their task is to try and make the topspin faster. To achieve this aim, thechildren are given tools. How they use

these tools are up to them, dependingon their resourcefulness and creativity.

Another exciting example is theLego go-cart model. The children aredivided into groups. “Each group musttry and nd ways to make the go-cartslide faster down a slope. Should thetyres or the gears be changed? That isfor the children to decide. They needto put their heads together and thinkup solutions,” says Kamarudin. “Weregard this as a contest so the kids getmore enthusiastic.” The children he

is referring to are between the agesof seven and 12, so one can imaginethe organised chaos going on in thelibrary’s activity hall!

“Now, it is about ltering the besttalents and gearing them up for state-

level competitions.

Soon, there may be more advancedmodules in the Lego programmedepending on the children’s responseand performance. Lego Robotics isalready on the way. The children can’twait.”

BENEFIT FOR THE PEOPLEOther than the Lego activities, the3-D printer project is exciting toexplore too. It is a new product thatinterests children, aged 12 and above.

Participants are instructed to inventan object using special 3D-animationsoftware. First, they are given a theme;for example, ‘Resolution’. Then theyhave to get a concept ready and itmust be a practical one. For example,the library proposed a 3-D bait that

can help shermen catch sh in amore efcient manner. One of thedesigns came in the shape of bait thatopens up into a four-angled hook.Their design goes into the 3D printerand produces a prototype. For theparticipants, it is liberating to witnesstheir design becoming a reality.

“Whatever the effort is on ourside, it is the community that

creates success.”

THE 3D PRINTER PROJECT


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Kamarudin and his team have alsostarted a digital compilation ofKemaman’s local history. This projectis named ‘Koleksi Kemaman’ (theKemaman Collection). “We encourageeach locality or village to nd out asmuch as possible about their village.It can be how the village was named,what were its trades compared to then

and now, who were the importantgures who made the village what it isnow, and much, much more. There is

just so much to tell,” says Kamarudin.“The youngsters doing the researchwill need to speak to their elders. Theolder generation love to share theirexperiences. When their stories comerolling in, there is no stopping them.”

All this information will be compiledas digital books. There are alsoportals that act as an online librarywhere you can nd records and such.

If anyone would like to nd out abouta certain village in Kemaman, all theyneed to do is click their way into theinformation bank.

COMMUNITY EFFORT“Whatever the effort is on our side,it is the community that createssuccess,” says Kamarudin. What he

says is especially true of Kemaman.This largest district in the state ofTerengganu sits between KualaTerengganu and Pasir Gajah. Now thatthere is a highway being built betweenthe two points, trafc will bypassKemaman. Although Kemaman hasmuch potential in community progressand development, it may just becomea sleepy hollow if no effort is taken tosustain its future.

For the locals in remote areas ofKemaman, there are special efforts

for them pertaining to the use of ICT.Seven smaller community librariesutilise ICT. In Desa Pasir Gajah, ICT haseven reached homestay operators.On top of that, businesses that soundobscure to people outside Kemaman,have also jumped on board the digitalbandwagon.

Farmers of the kelulut honey areslowly being introduced to ICT toimprove their business. To assist thesebusinesses, the entire village comes

together – the elders, women’s groups,youth groups, etc. They all know that asuccessful community member makesfor a successful community!

A second example is eggs from aspecial breed of turtles called tutung.The abundant creatures thrive infreshwater as opposed to near-extinctleatherback turtles at sea. Currently,there are 80 farmers who have broughttheir tutung egg business online viawebsites. The website explains thisrarely-heard-of delicacy; its benets,its taste and such. “No one knewabout these tutung eggs before, butnow the whole world will nd out!”says Kamarudin, pointing out the

amazing reach of the Internet.

For local businesses, regardless of howremote or small, an online presencemeans a much bigger market. There isno limit to where the Internet can takee-entrepreneurs when it comes totheir products and services. “Actually,Kemaman has a lot to offer. Did youknow that we have reies in Kampung

Yakyah? Who doesn’t know our localfood like keropok lekor (sh sausages)and satar (grilled sh patty wrapped

in banana leaf)? We also have the bestlemang (glutinous rice with coconutmilk in bamboo, cooked over anopen re) in Kijal,” shares Kamarudinwho started a Telegram Group withmembers of this community to givenotes of encouragement to eachother.

Apart from the efforts undertakenby the Kemaman Public Library toincrease the use of ICT among thelocals, the library itself utilises ICT toimprove their services. The ‘U-pustaka’project involves a consortium oflibraries. At the moment, there areonly seven libraries in this consortium.Through the Kemaman SmartCommunity project, the KemamanPublic Library is set to join the ranksof these sophisticated libraries. “WithU-Pustaka, you can borrow any book,even if we don’t carry the title. Weget the title from the other librariesin the consortium and deliver it to the

reader. You can say that it’s a sharingof materials made easy by the use ofthe Internet.”

Another facet of benecial ICT is theOpen University. In Terengganu, thise-learning avenue used to be availableonly in Kuala Terengganu but is nowavailable in Kemaman too.

SELECTION OF PARTICIPANTSThe library serves as a place togenerate a community of interests;

“These activities would not beof use if the people are unwillingto keep up with today’s digital

technology.”


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a place to hold wholesome andeducational activities for the people.Between this public library and thepeople of Kemaman, the aim is tobring everyone together and formcloser ties with one another. “Evenhobby groups and departmentscan be digitalised in Kemaman,”stressed Kamarudin. “Fishing groups,motor cross groups, institutions andgovernment agencies, and manymore.”

The women in Kemaman are moreinterested in cooking and sewing.Apart from books on these topics,the library holds workshops anddemonstrations to generate moreinterest among the ladies. “Wepromote these interactive eventsthrough our Telegram Group. Fromthere, we can gauge the interestof the people. Let’s say we post aforthcoming cooking demo at thelibrary. Some ladies in the group willimmediately start asking questions

and expressing an intention to attendthe event. This is how we get ourparticipants in the Smart Communityactivities – those who show interest inlearning and in turn, get their lovedones to participate too.

Apart from demonstrations, postersare put up. More information onthese activities is also shown on thelibrary’s website and Facebook page(now, that’s putting digital knowledgeto good use!).

Still, regardless of the incentivesgiven, these activities would not beof use if people are unwilling to keepup with today’s digital technology.But in Kemaman, the locals are fullyaware of the importance of IT. Theyare already embracing the effortsthat the Smart Community Project isoffering.

And they are making a difference.



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have boundless opportunities tobe marketed outside the districtof Kemaman. Through the use oftechnology, these cottage industriescould thrive through increaseddemands for their products that cangain a better reach outside theirtraditional market place.

It is crucial that key characteristics ofa community are outlined and theirpersonality and traits defned toensure maximum potential for growth.

Key issues to be identifed are:

• Does the community havecharacteristics that enable people toengage in cooperative ventures andhow can being a smart communityenhance these ventures?

• What are the communitystandards? Is the smart communitytoo extreme that it loses its charmand uniqueness? Or is it so drab thatit doesn’t generate enough interestto be sustainable?

• Does the community have adistinctive characteristic that can be

the focal point and be brought tothe fore and be built upon for socio-economic benefts?

Kemaman is a quaint district thatexudes simplicity and rustic charm.With a at coastal area, the majority ofthe people focus on shing activities.The inland area with hilly features isrich with tin ore, oil palm plantationsand timber. The area between thecoast and the hills concentrate onfarming.

Cottage industries, stemming from

sh produce, thrive in abundance andare a common sight around town aswell as alongside major highways. Thesatar and keropok lekor are unique tothe state of Terengganu and have seena healthy demand from other states.In addition, lemang, which is glutinousrice cooked in a bamboo stick over hotcoals, is another delicacy that’s muchsought after by tourists who visit.

A key factor that determines acommunity’s ability to manage

resources is its social cohesionand willingness to set and strivefor common goals. This does notmean that the community must behomogeneous (although this oftenhelps).

Conversely there are manyheterogeneous communities madeup of people of varying backgroundswho are nevertheless able to

overcome their differences in order towork toward common objectives. Thekey issue is whether the communityis able to establish common goals,establish strategies for accomplishingthose goals, and then work togetherto follow the strategy that has beenproposed.

In the advent of becoming a smartcommunity, cottage industries

“Is the community able toestablish common goals,establish strategies for

accomplishing those goals, andthen work together to follow

the strategy that has beenproposed?”

THE PERSONALITY OFTHE COMMUNITY

DETERMINING


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FINDING RESOURCESAND FUNDING

Each smart community project is unique and therefore ageneric smart community budget may not be sufcient. Thebudget has to be tailored according to the varying needs ofthe community in question. One size does not t all.

Funding from any single source isusually too unpredictable and limitedto sustain long-term, capacity-buildingstrategies. As a result, comprehensivepartnerships often combine multiplefunding sources to meet the prioritiesof a smart community project.

“For the Smart Community Projectin Kemaman, we worked in tandemwith synergistic industry partners,”explained Dato’ Mohd Ali Hanaah,Chief Industry Development Ofcer,

MCMC. “The Smart CommunityProject is run based on both privateand public funding. The availableinfrastructure is carefully assessed andthereafter gaps in the infrastructure areidentied. This is where our synergisticpartners come in. They weigh the areasbased on their commercial value andbuild the infrastructure at their owncost without funding from MCMC.”

According to Dato’ Mohd Ali, some ofthese areas already fall under MCMC’sUniversal Service Provision (USP).This initiative by MCMC is to providecollective and individual access tocommunications in underserved areas

such as Kemaman. It also encouragesthe use of ICT to build a knowledgebased society and bridge the digitaldivide. The USP is channelled towardsprojects like the Kemaman SmartCommunity to develop its socio-economy.

“Through the USP, we haveestablished the Kemaman InnovationCentre (KIC) in Kemaman as well asan Ops room for ood management,”divulges Dato’ Mohd Ali. “The telcos

have been instrumental in providingexpertise for the setting up of systemsand applications.”

The USP and synergistic partnersillustrate the variety and complexityof resources that together, createbalanced and comprehensivestrategies to build a smart community.

“Collective and individualaccess to communicationsin underserved areas suchas Kemaman encouragesthe use of ICT to build a

knowledge based society andbridge the digital divide.”


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PLANNING FORSUSTAINABILITY

Planning for sustainability is vital to ensure that thedistrict of Kemaman, together with the industry and

other stakeholders, and most importantly the community,sustainably plan and manage their smart infrastructure

and adopt innovative practices. It is inherent that as thesmart community was being developed, MCMC strongly

emphasised the need to focus on planning activities

that engage the community regardless of age and ICTknowledge. These activities were to enhance the use of the

smart community infrastructure, to educate and inculcate theuses and advantages of being a smart-enabled community.

Amongst others, it is inherent that a nancial strategy isimplemented to ensure these activities are sufciently

funded, operated, maintained and re-innovated over time.It is crucial to enhance the long-term technical, nancial and

managerial capacity of each strategy.

ADDRESS

COMMUNITYGOALS

Consistently assess arange of alternatives

that address communitygoals such as a hackathonthat gives them theopportunity to developApps that are mutuallybenecial to the individualand the community

PITCHING AND PROGRAMMING

THE NEXT KILLER APPTe rural folk get their first taste of a high energy, around-the-clock Hackathonto boost their interest in App-building as well as to create an opportunity toenhance their businesses.

Hunched over the computer keyboardin a uorescent-lit hall, some 100people pound away at source codefor 24 straight hours at the HackathonAppster Boss in Kemaman. The

contest is to pitch, programmeand present a functioning Androidmobile application in 24 hours. Theparticipants from all over Malaysia

were vying to be one of the ideagenerators and clinch the cash prizeof RM7000 for the Open category andRM3000 for the novice category. Thesemarathon coding competitions haveexploded in popularity all over thecountry, fuelled by the developmentof easier-to-use software writing tools.

The Open category was won byMamashroom Smart Tani whilst theNovice category was won by Park-In. The Mamashroom Smart TaniApp will connect the entrepreneur



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to the buyer. It will enable them tosearch for agricultural products aswell as present tutorials on how bestto prepare and cook these products.“It will create awareness amongstMalaysians to use these products andpractice a healthy lifestyle,” explainedZue Aziz. “For example, if you wish

to eat mushrooms, you can use thisApp to search for the nearest locationto obtain mushrooms as well as getinformation about mushrooms; itshealth benets, tutorials on how toplant and cook the mushrooms, etc.”

The idea ‘mushroomed’ from herexperience in the agricultural sector.“From my observation, farmersalways faced problems marketingtheir products whilst the buyer, onthe other hand, didn’t know where tobuy the products. They didn’t even

understand the nutritional benets.This app is able to solve that.”

The Hackathon concept was newbut nevertheless provided a lot ofexperience. “We joined the Hackathonto nd out more about apps andchallenged ourselves to create one.It was our rst time. The biggestchallenge was to develop our appusing MIT. The members of our groupwere from diverse backgrounds. Mymother is a teacher, my brother fromtahfz

while I am from the agriculturalsector. Regardless, we were drivenby passion to develop this App. Wedidn’t even know how to create asplash screen or how to make our Appfunction well.”

“We are still working to upgrade theApp to its fullest potential,” he adds.

The opportunity to create an Appand make money has exploded; thetime and budget needed to code thatsoftware has fallen closer and closerto zero. Programmers can add corefeatures to Apps simply by cuttingand pasting a few lines of code. Thisenables them to focus on creating

new functionality.

In other words, it’s an ideal time to gointo the App business – Hackathonshave emerged as the new forum fornetworking, learning, and beta-testingnew Apps and ventures.

Venture capitalists are looking toHackathons as a new way to spot freshfaces worth recruiting and good ideasworth funding.



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Analyse other innovativeapproaches that attractdifferent age groups as wellas draw out talents amongstthe young i.e. Game Jam.

BRIDGE THE AGE GAP

GAMING WITHSOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

It’s a vast difference from the norm. Five children show the positive side to gaming steeped with social values.

Tese days’ kids live in two worlds.

In the real world, ve 11-year-olds goto school, do their homework and helpwith their household chores. Then, atleast once per day, they hop onto theInternet and transform into humanwarrior avatars of sorts and battle evil.

It came as no surprise that theircrusade to battle evil would be thetheme of their entry into the GameJam, part of an initiative under theKemaman Smart Community Project.

“The Game Jam was an initiative underthe Kemaman Smart CommunityProject that was open to all the local

schools to garner the interest of schoolchildren in the smart communityconcept,” explains Dato’ Mohd AliHanaah. “It was to jumpstart theirinterest at an early level and, as theygrew older, they would continue todevelop games at a higher level.There can be income generated fromdeveloping these Internet games. It isinteresting how they have managedto tap into their sense of socialresponsibility to develop a game thatadds value to their lives and that ofothers.”

Computer gaming took a differenttwist when the game in question hadsome reection on the lives of MuhdArif Fahmi bin Mohd Anuar, SyamilLaksana bin Azian Laksana, Tuan Muzrbin Tuan Mohd Razam, MuhammadAizat bin Ahmad Faidhirhisham andMuhammad Aq Hanif bin MohdSaparin. For these students of SekolahKebangsaan Sultan Ismail in Cukai,Kemaman, their winning entry spokevolumes about how they viewedgaming as a means to communicatingimportant issues to other gamers.

GAME PLAN

The idea of their winning entryentitled Banjir was mooted fromthe devastation suffered by thecommunity in Kemaman due to themonsoon oods annually. Thoughtheir experiences with oods differed,they agreed unanimously that it wasa problem that hit their communityrelentlessly every year end when kidsin other parts of the country wereenjoying their holidays.

According to Muhd Arif Fahmi andMuhammad Aizat, though they



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personally had not been victims of aood situation, they could relate tothe situation, having watched it on thenews, and understood the severity ofits impact on a community. “I know Iwould panic if I were to go througha similar situation,” Muhd Arif Fahmiexplains.

His fellow gamer, Syamil Laksana, hasbeen trapped in his house when thesurrounding areas were ooded. “Itwas scary as I couldn’t leave my home

to go out,” he shares. “I felt like I wason an island!”

Tuan Muzr, has also experiencedooding, especially the notorious oodof 2013. “The water level reachedup to my waist. It was a frighteningexperience. Our belongings were alsodestroyed by the ood.”

Muhammad Aq recounts his

experience of being a victim of thearea’s worst ood in 2013. “The waterlevel was up to my head. We lostmost of our belongings and couldn’tlive in our home during that time. Wemanaged to salvage some clothes andimportant documents before leaving tostay at my grandmother’s house, whichwas on higher ground. We stayed therefor two months before we could moveback home. I helped my parents cleanup the mess caused by the ood.”

With experiences such as these, as wellas the knowledge of the devastation ofthe oods in 2013, it was no wonderthese ve boys’ discussions veered offin that direction.

“We gured if we could show peoplehow to help themselves through thisgame, it would benet them in a reallife situation,” explains Muhd ArifFahmi.

“We could educate people to think fast

as the water level rises,” adds Syamil.“We could teach them the importanceof salvaging important items such aspersonal documents that are difcultto replace.”

So how does ood management tie-inwith the game?

“The game starts as you enter yourhome,” explains the rather condentMuhd Arif Fahmi. “The water levelstarts rising and, as it rises, you are tocollate important personal items. Yougain points for every important itemyou manage to salvage. If you reachout for the unimportant stuff, you don’tget points and you are just wasting

time as the water level keeps rising.Once the water level rises above yourhead, the game is over!”

“The important things consist of one’smoney, passport, personal documentsand identity card,” adds Syamil. “It’s ahassle to apply for new ones.”

This gaming experience instils valuableood management knowledge inkids, basic but nonetheless just asimportant.

“We gured if we could showpeople how to help themselves

through this game, it wouldbenet them in a real life

situation.”


Muhd Arif Fahmibin Mohd Anuar

Syamil Laksana bin Azian Laksana

Muhammad AfqHanif bin MohdSaparin

Muhammad Aizat bin AhmadFaidhirhishamTuan Muzfr

bin Tuan MohdRafzam


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“If I were to play this game constantly,important survival tactics wouldbecome second nature when the needarises,” divulges Muhammad Aq. “Iwould instantly know what to do andbe able to think on my feet, grab thenecessary and important items andhead to a safer area.”

The boys were given headphones anda plaque for their winning entry. “Wewere so surprised – and shocked!”says Syamil. “We really didn’t expect

to win!”

MOVING FORWARD WITH A SEQUELBut this brainwave doesn’t end herefor these amazing, young boys fromChukai, Kemaman. According to MuhdArif Fahmi, they are now motivatedto enter more competitions. Theyalready have a sequel in the planning:“Earthquake!” he exclaims. “Weheard about the recent earthquakein Sabah and how school childrendied, and feel it’s another disaster thatMalaysians have to learn to handle.

Maybe gaming can be a positivemethod for kids like us to learn howto save ourselves when in a similarsituation.”

These boys with steady headsand strong motivation are movingalong the lines of not just becominggaming experts but developers andentrepreneurs of the future.

“We could educate people tothink fast as the water levelrises. We could teach themthe importance of salvaging

important items such as personaldocuments that are difcult to

replace.”


The Game Jam participantsfrom various schools


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as a mode of engaging the peopleof Kemaman. The competitionsaw people from all walks of life,

regardless of age, come forth andshare different aspects that, whenbrought together, spoke volumes ofKemaman and her uniqueness.

Prior to the competition, a one-dayworkshop on enhancing story-tellingskills was held for the community ofKemaman. It saw 10 participants,some of whom were students fromInstitute Kemahiran Belia Negeri.There they learned to tell storiesthat dene and shape their identityand shared this through actions andwords. This was followed by a storytelling competition that comprisedve themes: Arts and Culture,Food, History, Socio-economy andRecreation, and Tourism. With cashprizes worth RM5000 for the topprize, followed by RM3000 for thesecond prize, RM2000 for the thirdprize and seven consolation prizesworth RM500 each, it’s no wonder thisinaugural event took off on a positivenote and served as a prelude to themaking of the documentary calledMalaysia’s Flood Warriors .

“The gift of storytelling may beone of life’s most powerful – and

envied – skills.”

WARRIORSMALAYSIA’S FLOOD

With the successful implementation of the Flood ManagementPlan 2014, the community of Kemaman stands more unitedthan ever and, through a documentary, show how a communitywith one voice can forge ahead despite its challenges.

Within the quaint town ofKemaman, there are hills andplains, rivers and roads thathave many a tale to discloseand what better way than to tellit through a documentary aptlycalled the Malaysia’s FloodWarriors . The documentary

was streamlined to presentthe facts and give an accuraterepresentation of the issuesfaced by the community ofKemaman.

It is to be used as a mediumto educate people and helpthe audience understandthe community of Kemamanand what they stood for. Thepremise of the documentaryis the cohesiveness of a multi-ethnic community forgingahead despite the challengesof the ood brought upon themby the monsoon. Kemaman’s

“The cohesiveness of amulti-ethnic communityallowed them to forge

ahead despite thechallenges of the ood

brought upon them by themonsoon.”


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history, its challenges and, mostrecently, its triumph in battling theoods in 2014 and winning the GoldStandard Award for Flood Operationsfrom the Prime Minister, was thecatalyst behind this documentary.

By analysing this extraordinary

community throughout its h istory, andwater topography system where riverand sea meet, we see how residentsfaced their annual predator withunrelenting fervour. With the FloodManagement Plan 2014 activatedduring the oods in December 2014,we learn how the community, throughvolunteerism and unity, succeeded indeploying this plan. The documentarycovers the ood in three stages: Pre-ood, actual ood and post oodsituations.

“By managing this calamity, thecommunity was able to spring backto normalcy fast enough becauseof their level of preparedness,”explained Dato’ Mohd Ali Hanaahfrom MCMC. The shing and localcottage industries managed to getback on their feet faster. The tourismindustry was also reactivated quickly,hence causing as little loss of incomeas possible.”

“The triumphs and woes of Malaysia’sood warriors were written, co-produced and documented bylocal talent through script writingand story-telling workshops andcompetitions,” he divulged. “Whatbetter way than to have the peoplewho were directly involved withghting for their lives and livelihood,share their experiences. The localswere instrumental in seeing thisdocumentary come to fruition as

they assisted the producers in anywhich way possible; whether it wasto take them to a particular locationor direct them to a particular sourceor place of interest, they stepped upand helped.”

“This is why the community ofKemaman is special,” he adds. “Theytake pride in whatever they do, andthey do it with unrelenting passion.

“This is why the community ofKemaman is special. They takepride in whatever they do, and

they do it with unrelentingpassion.”



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Do this by setting goals andselecting projects that areinclusive of the community.

BE INCLUSIVE TO MAXIMISE

MUTUAL BENEFITS

EMPOWERMENT

DIGITAL

Being equipped with ICknowledge is incomplete if thereis no regard for Internet safety,

security and responsibility.

Digital Empowerment entails reachingout and empowering Malaysians tobecome effective ‘digital citizens’ andincreasing their participation in thesocial and economic sphere. This is sothey can contribute towards buildingMalaysia into a smart digital nation.



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A DIGITAL CITIZENThe rural community is relativelynew to the cyber world hence it isimportant to inculcate the culture ofpositive and responsible use of ICT.This is achievable via programmes,initiatives, platform developmentand implementation with relevantstakeholders and a massive reach-outto as many Malaysians as possible.

STRATEGY TO WIN HEARTSApart from the general public, whoare the people who would gain fromempowering their lives with ICTknowledge?

Anyone from the unemployed, tohomemakers and single mothers,

to young entrepreneurs – we all canbenet from the knowledge of ICT.They can be taught to develop awebsite, or a Facebook page or aBlogSpot. We are living in a time whereyou don’t have to leave your homein order to earn a l

kema man smart community

Documents