KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has become the first state selected to implement the Nadi ambassador programme.
The programme is aimed at promoting the benefits of the National Information Dissemination Centre (Nadi) Smart Services and advancing digital literacy, especially among rural communities.
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said 50 volunteers, comprising students from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), were selected to participate in the programme.
It is being introduced for the first time by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) in collaboration with UMS and Yayasan Sukarelawan Siswa.
He said that Nadi ambassadors will also assist MCMC in raising public awareness on cyber safety through the Safe Internet Campaign by engaging with residents’ associations and school students in their respective areas to promote responsible and ethical internet use.
“Sabah was chosen, among other reasons, because during the Covid-19 pandemic, it was one of the states which faced significant Internet infrastructure challenges.
“We have been working hard to address these issues, whether through the installation of towers, substations or expanding campus WiFi coverage.
“Therefore, it is fitting for us to continue our efforts by strengthening digital literacy through the Nadi ambassador programme,” Fahmi told reporters after launching the Sabah Nadi ambassador programme at UMS yesterday, Bernama reported.
Also present were Communications Ministry secretary-general Datuk Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa, UMS vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Kasim Mansor and MCMC managing director Abdul Karim Fakir Ali.
Fahmi said there are currently 131 Nadi centres across Sabah.
He added that the selected ambassadors will undergo a two-day training session to support digital literacy efforts, as well as help extend the benefits of these centres to the wider community.
He said that the student volunteers from UMS were drawn from various academic disciplines, with the selection process jointly carried out by MCMC and the university.
Fahmi also expressed hope that the participation of UMS students in the programme would serve as a platform for them to provide input and suggestions for improving telecommunications services in Sabah.
He said that the Nadi ambassador initiative will eventually be expanded to universities nationwide, in collaboration with student representative councils.
