Digital minister Gobind Singh Deo (seated, centre) at Jelajah Digital in Sandakan, emphasising the need to improve connectivity before accelerating digitalisation in Sabah.
KOTA KINABALU: The Digital Ministry is committed to accelerating digitalisation and modernisation in Sabah’s key sectors, but addressing connectivity issues must come first, says Gobind Singh Deo.
Its minister said Sabah faces different challenges compared to Peninsular Malaysia, with infrastructure limitations being the biggest barrier to adopting new technology.
To resolve this, the ministry will work closely with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the Sabah government to improve connectivity before expanding digital initiatives.
"I agree that one of the main issues raised is infrastructure. We must ensure there is connectivity. If we want to use technology, we need to have connectivity first," he said at the Jelajah Digital programme at Elopura Hotel in Sandakan on Sunday (Feb 16).
Gobind stressed that digitalisation has the potential to transform key industries in Sabah, including agriculture, fisheries, livestock, plantation, healthcare, transportation, and tourism.
However, without a strong digital infrastructure, efforts to integrate new technology into these sectors will remain limited.
Digital minister Gobind Singh Deo at Jelajah Digital in Sandakan, pledging to work with MCMC and the Sabah government to resolve connectivity issues before expanding digital initiatives.
"For Sabah, we will sit together with the state (government), and the state can tell us which are the priority areas so that we can focus on them.
“Moving ahead, we can come up with programmes with more targeted initiatives rolled out so that we can actually move this sort of adoption at a much faster rate," he said.
The ministry is also collaborating with key federal agencies, including the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry and Plantation and Commodities Ministry, to assess the specific needs of different industries.
He acknowledged that industry players had raised concerns about financial constraints in adopting new technology. Many businesses, particularly in Sabah, require financial assistance or incentives to transition into digital platforms, and the ministry is actively engaging with relevant agencies to explore potential support mechanisms.
Gobind also assured that collaboration between his ministry and the Sabah government has been smooth, with constructive feedback helping to refine digitalisation strategies for the state.
"(Collaboration between Sabah government and the ministry) is very good. In fact, we get a lot of feedback that is helpful. What we need to do is find a way in which we can prioritise what is needed and, of course, look forward to resolving the issues as soon as possible," he said.
He added that more digital-focused programmes would be introduced in Sabah in the near future to accelerate the adoption of technology and improve economic opportunities.
