Methodologies for Bridging the Digital Divide
amongst Remote and Rural Communities in Peninsular Malaysia
Methodologies for Bridging the Digital Divide
amongst Remote and Rural Communities in Peninsular Malaysia
Edited by
Poline Bala
Tan Chong Eng
First Print 2018
© Poline Bala Tan Chong Eng
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.
Published in Malaysia by UNIMAS Publisher,
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia.
Printed in Malaysia by Malien Press Sdn Bhd G/Flr Lot 184, Section 49, Jalan Abell, 93100 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia Cataloguing-in-Publication Data Methodologies for Bridging the Digital Divide amongst Remote and
Rural Communities in Peninsular Malaysia / Edited by: Poline Bala, Tan Chong Eng ISBN 978-967-2008-90-3
1. Community development--Malaysia.
2. Information technology--Social aspects--Malaysia.
3. Rural development--Malaysia.
4. Government publications--Malaysia.
5. Malaysia--Social conditions.
I. Poline Bala. II. Tan, Chong Eng.
307.109595
Page
vii ix 1 6 9 13 15 24
33 41 51 61 65 71 79
85 89 99 112 116 118
Contents
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Methodologies for Bridging the Digital Divide with ICT4D amongst Remote and Rural Communities
Dedication
This pictorial reporting is dedicated to the people of Pos Balar, Pos Gob, Pos Lenjang and Pos Sinderut.
May the technologies introduced touch your life, as much as your lives have touched ours.
vi Methodologies for Bridging the Digital Divide with ICT4D amongst Remote and Rural Communities
Preface
A Picture Paints a Thousand Words
The Telecentre Programme for Orang Asli (TPOA) was developed and designed to introduce information and communication technology (ICTs) for bridging the digital divide between urban and rural communities, targeting mainly four Orang Asli communities in Kelantan and Pahang.
This report is a window into the implementation model and service design of TPOA at Pos Sinderut, Pos Lenjang, Pos Balar and Pos Gob. Beginning with the inception stage in February 2011, the journey has taken about 7 years to attain its final stage, which is to evaluate, assess and monitor. The experience has involved two different periods of research and development activities, supported by two different grants worth RM1.3 million (Needs Assessment Stage) and RM4.9 million (Telecentre Programme Roll Out Stage), respectively.
About 37 researchers with diverse skills from different fields and diverse disciplines took part in the different stages of the initiative; some have moved on for various reasons while some have stayed put until the finishing line. Guided by multi disciplinarian approaches, the initiative has pulled together different agencies (governmental and non- governmental, academic and non-academic, local and non- local) and institutions to collaborate. The initiative is an excellent example of a multi-level collaborative and practical approaches in deploying ICT amongst rural, remote and
indigenous communities.
Poline Bala
Project leader of Telecentre Programme for Orang Asli (TPOA)
(Assoc. Prof. Dr Poline Bala (left) with one of the respected elders and leaders (right) from Kampung Tembaga)
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Methodologies for Bridging the Digital Divide with ICT4D amongst Remote and Rural Communities
Acknowledgements
The Research and Development Team of The Telecentre Programme for Orang Asli (TPOA) wishes to thank a number of institutions, agencies and individuals for their kind assistance in the form of moral support, technical assistance and funding without which this project would not have been possible. This is mainly because of the magnitude of the task within a challenging context: poor infrastructure, long distances and sparse populations located at four widespread locations. This presented a challenging task within the time line proposed at the outset of the project. This is heightened by unpredictability and changes in weather patterns which affected ability to reach these physically remote communities in the forested areas of two different states (Kelantan and Pahang). All these can stretch time and energy, and inevitably has impact on travelling cost and time for researchers to reach project sites.
In particular here is the Ministry of Regional and Rural Development through the Jabatan Kemajuan Orang Asli (JAKOA), and also the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) at the Prime Minister’s Department for their generous financial assistance to make this project possible. We are greatly indebted to their kindness.
We are particularly indebted to the support and collaborations provided by Jabatan Kemajuan Orang Asli (JAKOA). Without their support this project would have suffered serious setbacks.
In similar ways, the Institute of Social Informatics and Technological Innovations (ISITI), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak has also provided incredible support to the initiative. Equally important is the Faculty of Social Sciences which helped us to define directions and to identify critical issues related to this project.
We wish to thank the Director of the Institute of Social Informatics and Technological Innovation and the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, UNIMAS.
In addition, we wish to extend our appreciation to Prof. Datuk Dr Kadim Suadi, the Vice Chancellor of UNIMAS. He has shown us tremendous support and his keen interests in the project kept us going.
Last but not least, the villagers of Pos Sinderut, Pos Lenjang, Pos Balar and Pos Gob. They have been very gracious in welcoming us into their villages and homes. Many have entertained our questions, welcomed us into their homes, and have shared their personal stories, experiences and aspirations with us. We are grateful for they have been willing to share their knowledge. We hope that the bonds of friendship we have struck with the villagers will remain. However, none of the above mentioned are responsible for the shortcomings of TPOA which the Research and Development (R&D) Team alone is responsible. It is our sincere hope that the outcomes of TPOA will provide useful and practical guides to the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development and Economic Planning Unit towards bridging the digital divide in the remote forested areas involving the Orang Asli of two different states (Kelantan and Pahang) in West Malaysia.
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Methodologies for Bridging the Digital Divide with ICT4D amongst Remote and Rural Communities
x
TPOA’s Background, Context and Rationale
A tree cannot grow and be kept standing without roots; for it to emerge and grow TPOA has a number of roots. Some of its roots are global in nature, some are rooted in national government policies, and equally important are its institutional and communal roots. In short, its outcome is a result of a particular set of diverse yet interrelated circumstances. The following section provides a brief overview of these roots:
Global Trends
Transformational Potentials of Information Communication Technologies (ICT)
At the global level, late 1990s have ushered some great expectations towards information communication technologies (ICTs) to drive economic growth and social progress. Scholars (i.e Bar, 1998) suggested efficient telecommunication facilities promote economic development. In this light, ICTs especially the internet is considered by many governmental and non-governmental agencies as new tools for social and economic transformation. This perspective has been amplified through the information communication technologies for development (ICT4D) trend (Avgerou, 2008; Waltham & Sahay, 2006). Considered as an imperative in an era where wealth creation and accumulation is increasingly dependent on high technology for data, facilitating information and knowledge exchanges (Omar Abdul Rahman, 1993). Within this, physical resources were thought to give way to the exploitation of knowledge resources, ushering the dawn of what the United Nations calls as the “knowledge-based global economy and information society” (UN, 2000:9).
Digital Gap Phenomena
In tandem with optimism of ICTs as new social and economic force in the world economy, there is also a worldwide unease over the increasing gaps between the information ‘have’ and ‘have-nots’. Known as the Digital Gap or Information Gap, this discrepancy of access exists at different levels: between the rich and the poor, between developed and developing nations, and also between urban and rural populations. The latter divide has been argued to be prevalent, although not exclusively, within the developing nations.
Hudson (1998) suggests that the urban and non-urban areas Digital Gap is far more significant. This is especially because about 80 per cent of the populations in poorest countries live in rural areas where there is limited access to telecommunication services. Even though major strides have been made to connect rural population to telecommunication and broadband networks, most telecommunication services and their
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Methodologies for Bridging the Digital Divide with ICT4D amongst Remote and Rural Communities
social and economic benefits are still biased towards the urban population (Akhtar & Gregson, 2001; HLCIT, 2004). In many situations, the urban sectors are saturated with ICTs access and services, while there are still many areas with unreliable connections: rural population struggle to access services. This is especially for remote and mountain areas in developing countries which are among the poorest and most inaccessible in the world (Heeks and Kanashiro, 2009).
If left unchecked, this gap of access is seen to lead to other forms of poverty and inequality (ITU, 2010). As a result, various international bodies and agencies such as the United Nations, International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and its members, including national governments are keen to explore means to provide equal access in order to bridge the digital divide. United Nations is one of the leading voices in raising awareness about this imbalance in access. These moves have been encouraged by advances in networking technologies in recent years, which make it possible to explore new opportunities for providing access to rural people. The greatest social payoff from telecommunications’ improvements is found in rural and isolated areas (Ernberg 1998; Dyson et al., 2007).
Minding the Gap: Telecentre for Bridging Digital Divide (BDD)
In early 2000s, telecenter [1] has gained popularity as one of the most cost effective means to provide public access to computers, the internet, technology training, community services, and other information communication technologies (ICT). More specifically, telecentre has been treated as a tool to close the digital divide between less developed and developed nations, information have and have-nots, as well as between rural and urban communities. Considered as an alternative model of access which can allow community who cannot afford such facilities on an individual basis and/or do not have the skills to use such tools, to enjoy the benefits of a wired society. In addition, it provides an ideal platform to build flexible and powerful environment for sharing and learning. Furthermore, telecentres are more than technology centres by providing an ideal platform to build flexible and powerful environment for sharing and learning.
As a communal facility, the telecentres provide the space for users to share, support and learn from one another: they are socially constructive. The telecentres which were initially avenues to increase the access and penetration rate of internet, is increasingly being used to deliver BDD Programmes.
1 Community e-centres (CeCs) or Telecentres are public-access facilities providing electronic communication services, especially in marginalised or remote areas where ICTs are not prevalent. They serve as avenues for providing universal access communications and multimedia services to rural communities since they provide access to telephones, faxes, computers, the Internet, photocopiers and other equipment and services (UNESCAP, 2006) For example, the programmes for Pusat Internet Desa (http://www.pid.net.my/) and Medan InfoDesa (http://infodesa.gov.my/
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