'Don’t let ICT projects turn into white elephants’

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia must avoid developing information and communications technology projects that become expensive white elephants.

Japanese Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry vice-minister for policy coordination Tetsuo Yamakawa said Asean countries like Malaysia with an early stage of ICT development should learn from Japan and South Korea.

“There are many examples in Japan where they created expensive systems which were never utilised because society did not have an awareness to use them,” Tetsuo said at a press conference after meeting with Asean leaders at the 11th Telecommunications and Information Technology Senior-Officials Meeting (Telsom) yesterday.

He said the Malaysian Government had to ensure people are aware of new technologies and facilities.

“Most important is to revamp policies. In order to promote ICT, cooperation between ICT and other areas is vital.

“It’s also important to really work on raising public awareness,” he said.

He urged Malaysia to share its expertise in information and communications technology development with the rest of the world and cited Cyberjaya as a good example of how the industry here had developed.

But he said Malaysia’s main weakness was its low broadband penetration rate, especially in rural communities.

“Broadband without users is not an engine for economic growth,” he said.

Tetsuo announced that Japan had also pledged RM460,000 this year to the Asean ICT Masterplan (AICTM) for two training programmes to be carried out by Malaysian and Singaporean varsities.

sources_ the star