LABUAN CONNECT! PROGRAMME PARTICIPATED BY VARIOUS AGENCIES, COMMUNITY GROUPS

LABUAN, Nov 24 (Bernama) -- The launch of Labuan Connect! was successfully held for the first time at the Patau-Patau 1 Community Hall here yesterday.

Ministry of Communications, Deputy Secretary-General (Strategic Communications and Creative Industry) Nik Kamaruzaman Nik Husin officiated the launch.

Also present was Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) Chief Executive Officer Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin.

The one-day programme, which began at 8 am, saw participation from several agencies under the Ministry of Communications, including the Labuan Information Department, Radio Televisyen Labuan and telecommunications companies such as CelcomDigi, Maxis and Unifi.

"Other agencies included the Labuan Village and Public Library, MADANI sales and entrepreneurs from the National Information Dissemination Centre (NADI) in Kampung Lubuk Temiang and Sungai Labu.

Labuan Connect! was also participated by students from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) Labuan campus, Vocational College students, local schoolchildren and residents.

The programme kicked off with the "Getting to Know the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC)" session by the agency’s Federal Territories (Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Labuan)  section head Muhammad Rahimi Abdul Wahid.

In addition, ‘pocket talk’ was held, focusing on online scams, cyberbullying, and complaint reporting, which was presented by MCMC Federal Territories (Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Labuan) deputy director Katirawaan Rajadran.

Other topics included insights on the role of mobile journalists (MoJo) and media in communications, presented by Bernama’s Digital Media Desk senior reporter Syed Iylia Hariz Al-Qadri.

Also covered were facilitation of telecommunications services issues, presented by Consumer Advocacy and Outreach Department head Kamalavacini Ramanathan and Communications and  and Multimedia Consumer Forum of Malaysia (CFM) executive Ungku Azilah Ungku Aziz.

The event also featured various interactive activities, such as a digital quiz, Kahoot challenges, a mini Bernama Radio booth, and forest literacy activities at the MCMC booth.

Abdullah Ismail@Wahab, 63, a retired private sector worker from Kampung Patau-Patau 1, expressed his gratitude for the government's presence in the village, offering important information to the locals.

He emphasised the need for similar awareness programmes on online scams, particularly for elderly residents, and suggested that such initiatives be held more frequently to encourage greater community participation.

"I believe such programmes should be held regularly, with more activities to attract even more people to engage in the future," he said, sharing that he had enjoyed participating in the quiz.

Norfitri Farhana Razali, 13, a student from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Mutiara, also expressed excitement about the programme being held close to her village, which gave her an opportunity to learn about Bernama and its services.

Norfitri, along with her friend, arrived as early as 7.30 am to take part in the activities, adding that she never missed a chance to join such events, especially the quiz sessions.

Meanwhile, Kumaravel Vee Loo Samy, a third-year student from UMS Labuan International Campus, Faculty of Computing and Informatics, said the programme provided valuable insights, particularly about the media and the use of social media.

A Johor native, Kumar appreciated the briefing on using mobile phones to record videos and the tips on social media, adding that the programme helped him understand the importance of referring to Bernama for accurate news during current events.

"I’ve learned a lot about Bernama’s role and how crucial it is to rely on trusted sources for the truth," said Kumar, who also won a wristwatch in the quiz competition.

--BERNAMA