Knowledge now at the fingertips of 2,250 students

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KOTA KINABALU: A total of 2,250 rural students in Sabah's northern district of Kota Marudu went home smiling after receiving a netbook each.

The netbooks were channelled under the Information, Communication and Culture Ministry and Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission's (MCMC) 1Malaysia Netbook Distribution Programme.

It is part of Government's efforts to increase the national broadband penetration rate under the National Broadband Initiative, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili said after presenting the iDOLA 1Malaysia netbooks to students from nine secondary schools.

Towards a brighter future: Dr Ongkili presenting a netbook to a student during a ceremony at a community hall in Kota Marudu Saturday.

“They are the first batch to receive the iDOLA 1Malaysia netbooks and the MCMC has decided to procure 50,000 units of iDOLA for this programme,” he added.

Since the programme began last year, a total of 10,000 netbooks have been distributed to the target groups in Sabah during the first phase.

The second phase will see 49,800 Sabah students benefiting from the programme.

Dr Ongkili added that the iDOLA 1Malaysia netbook was not only of the same quality as other renowned brands, but had an innovative application called Intelligent Service Delivery Platform (iSDP).

The iSDP, an innovation by Mimos Bhd, provides users quick access to information and services on the Internet, such as government e-services, including online payments to JPJ and the police, MyEG, access to major news outlets, IPTV as well as general information on government ministries.

As a further step to ensure that the use of ICT is maximised by schools, Dr Ongkili said each of the nine schools would be given a wireless printer.

A further 3,000 units of iDOLA 1Malaysia will be distributed during the third phase, including to community leaders and NGOs.

Every family in Kota Marudu with a child who is about to enter college or varsity will also be given an iDOLA netbook each, Dr Ongkili said.