ALOR STAR: Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir launched the state’s first reference centre for information and communication technology (ICT), Kedah Digital Transformation Centre (KDTC) at the Urban Transformation Centre, here, yesterday.

Kembara Digital Malaysia, which was organised by the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) to give the opportunity to people to learn how they can make use of the Internet and the initiative by Digital Malaysia to improve their living condition were held concurrently with the launch.

Mukhriz said both the initiatives to provide exposure for the people in Kedah, especially youths on how they could utilise ICT with other existing digital facilities available in the country or the Internet for their own benefit.

“We can see that many of the youths are interested in animation or gaming.

Such interests can be transformed into something that can provide them with some income.” Mukhriz said that he had suggested Kedah became the hub for the centre of ICT database for both public and commercial sectors to expand the development of ICT in the state.

“I suggested the location would be at the Kulim–Hi Tech Park as it is equipped with a data centre specification up to tier-4, which is so far the first and the only one in the country.

State Science, Innovation, Information Technology, Communication and High-technology and human resources Committee chairman Datuk Norsabrina Mohd Noor, who was present said the state ICT committee cooperated with a number of government and private agencies in establishing KDTC, which provide free-of-charge services and programmes to the people in Kedah.

“The KDTC has been operating since September last year and so far it has collaborated with MDeC, the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit and the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission to strengthen the development of ICT in the state,” she said.

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