Helping the Orang Asli Come to Grips With ICT

After attending several courses on computers, the 40-year-old farmer has been saving money to buy his own personal set to educate his children on the wonders of information technology. "You can gain a whole lot of knowledge at the click of the mouse. You will be in a different world where almost everything is just at the tips of your fingers," he said recently. Zahid is among a group of 40 Orang Asli of the Jakun tribe who recently took part in a computer skills learning programme organised by the Johor Orang Asli Affairs Department (JHEOA) and the Johor Islamic Corporation (JIC).

GUIDANCE: Mohd Shahizam Othman and students of UTM Skudai showing the ropes to the Orang Asli participants.

The three-day programme, held from May 12, aims to bridge the gap between the Orang Asli and the rest of society. "We also want to ensure that Muslims among the Orang Asli benefit from the development of information and communication technology (ICT) in the state," said JIC deputy general manager Samiah Abdul Rahman. For the purpose of the programme, which was held at the JHEOA branch in Kluang, JIC bought 20 new computers for the branch's new computer classroom.

INTRIGUED: Orang Asli participants acquiring ICT skills.

The Orang Asli were not only taught how to use the computers and applications such as Microsft Word, but also how to surf the Internet, create email accounts and even blogs. The participants, aged between 18 and 65 were mostly school leavers, odd-job workers and farmers. A lecturer with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia's faculty of computer science and information systems was invited to conduct the programme.

KEEN: Several young Orang Asli participants in the programme.

Samiah said the certificates received by participants of the programme could be used as a supporting credential when applying for jobs. It is imperative for everyone to learn more about ICT, which is now an essential element in developing our country.