(Kuching, 22nd) The Sarawak Premier Datuk Seri Abang Johari Tun Openg stated that imparting knowledge to rural communities must adopt new, more interesting and entertaining methods to keep up with changing times and technological advancements.
He pointed out that this is particularly important to ensure that rural communities do not fall behind in the digital age, especially in terms of literacy and access to academic reading materials.
"The purpose of this new method is to make villagers feel interested and joyful. Solely relying on reading would make them feel bored, so the way we impart knowledge must be interactive," he said during his speech at the 25th anniversary celebration of the Sarawak State Library last night.
He also mentioned the success of the Sarawak Basic Welfare Assistance Scheme (SKAS), showing that the B40 group in rural areas can also use technology for online payments, reflecting their level of digital literacy.
"We are informed that 86% of those eligible for SKAS subsidies have registered and used online payments, which shows that if we teach villagers, they can also access academic reading materials online," he said.
Abang Johari revealed that the Sarawak government has approved funding to build a more modern new archive, as a commitment to continuously protect the important cultural heritage within the state.
"Preserving our cultural heritage is very important, which is why the government approved the construction of the new archive. I believe this will be the most advanced archive in the region," he said.
He also stated that important documents related to Sarawak, such as the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) documents obtained from London, will be stored in the archive as official reference materials.
He pointed out that this is particularly important to ensure that rural communities do not fall behind in the digital age, especially in terms of literacy and access to academic reading materials.
"The purpose of this new method is to make villagers feel interested and joyful. Solely relying on reading would make them feel bored, so the way we impart knowledge must be interactive," he said during his speech at the 25th anniversary celebration of the Sarawak State Library last night.
He also mentioned the success of the Sarawak Basic Welfare Assistance Scheme (SKAS), showing that the B40 group in rural areas can also use technology for online payments, reflecting their level of digital literacy.
"We are informed that 86% of those eligible for SKAS subsidies have registered and used online payments, which shows that if we teach villagers, they can also access academic reading materials online," he said.
Abang Johari revealed that the Sarawak government has approved funding to build a more modern new archive, as a commitment to continuously protect the important cultural heritage within the state.
"Preserving our cultural heritage is very important, which is why the government approved the construction of the new archive. I believe this will be the most advanced archive in the region," he said.
He also stated that important documents related to Sarawak, such as the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) documents obtained from London, will be stored in the archive as official reference materials.