MUKAH: The internet connectivity in Sarawak will be improved by next year, said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.

He said this would be done through the Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA)’s Linking Urban, Rural and Nation (Saluran) initiative implemented by the state government.

“This is a new approach. We also have four agencies that are implementing our digital infrastructure policies including Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC) and Sarawak Information Systems (Sains).

“Also involved are the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the agency under the Jalinan Digital Negara (Jendela) initiative,” he said.

Abang Johari was officiating at the launch of the Oil and Gas Academy along with the Palm and Agriculture Academy at Centexs Mukah on Saturday (Aug 28).

He added the agencies involved would be implementing internet connectivity infrastructure using the 4G internet speed.

The chief minister said the digital connectivity was also in tandem with physical infrastructure being built state-wide including the 12 bridges by the state government.

He said with the training provided under Centexs for its trainees in oil and gas along with precision farming, especially in the development of sago, oil palm and nipah, the future for Sarawak was bright.

“We must train our youth. We want to expose them to applied technology or applied science. We want to translate what they learn in theory to technical knowledge.

“By doing that, we can add value to our economic activities and get better returns for our investments,” he said.