The Editorial Team
KOTA KINABALU: Former Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak has urged the rakyat to adopt digital technology as their new lifestyle.
He said that in the “new normal”, people have to be more independent and adjust to life as digital citizens in everything they do, from social interactions to business and education.
Salleh said while official statistics from 2018 showed that although some 28.7 million (87.4%) people in Malaysia were internet users, only half used online banking facilities.
“This is a very small number and can be increased,” he said in a blogpost.
He said Covid-19 had seen digital literacy improving as more people took to social media to get updates on the pandemic.
He said becoming digital citizens was a way people could save time and energy on everyday tasks.
With just a few clicks, they could get their groceries or pay their bills without queuing up at supermarkets, malls or banks.
“Digital technology also enables people to communicate with one another, be it their family or friends. This is more so as the movement control order has been extended for another two weeks.
“If before this, we were not looking at the benefits of digital technology seriously, now is the time to see that all the benefits are at our fingertips.
“I believe, we will all continue to be smart digital citizens in achieving developed countries, and hopefully the Covid-19 pandemic will gradually recede so that the country’s economy continues to grow,” he said.
