KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has been allocated a total RM3.1bil under the national plan for the implementation of the National Digital Network (Jendela), says Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
The Sabah Chief Minister said this was to increase Internet and telecommunications coverage, especially in rural areas, as Sabah embraces Industry 4.0.
"It is changing how we live, work and communicate," Hajiji said at the opening of the 3rd Facility Management Asia Conference (FMAC) 2022 at the Le Meridien Hotel here on Tuesday (Dec 13).
"From schools to the workplace, we can already see how digitisation and automation have taken hold.
"Technology is continuously advancing, driving development in every sphere including facility management.
"We are conscious too that the era of IR4.0 and post-pandemic times demand new ways of planning and approach in managing assets for the benefit of end users," he added.
Hajiji's speech was delivered by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam.
Towards this end, the Chief Minister said the International Standards Organisation demanded effective and efficient delivery of facility management that supported organisational objectives, met the needs of interested parties and applicable requirements, and aimed to be sustainable in a globally competitive environment.
"Going forward, it is timely for us to seek new ways of doing things, including asset management," he said.
Hajiji said the Covid-19 pandemic had challenged the state to embrace change in order to survive and stay relevant.
In that context, facility management calls for strategic and non-strategic assets to be managed well and this included meeting new types of needs to support a smooth-functioning workplace, he said.
Hajiji said it was hoped that FMAC 2022 would address issues, challenges and strategies to drive this discipline and reinforce its resilience in the post-pandemic period.
FMAC, jointly organised by the Malaysian Association of Facility Management (MAFM) and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), is themed "Industry 4.0 in the New Normal: The Future of Facilities Management".
