INFORMATION on local district projects is just a mouse click away for rural folk in Penang. The state-level launching of the web portal ‘I Cerve U’ yesterday, which was first launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in September, provides them with the facility. Under this web portal, the rural community can survey the list of projects approved under the Ninth Malaysia Plan and other local projects and check on the status of these projects. Prime Minister’s Department Implementation Coordination Unit director-general Tan Sri Khalid Ramli said the web portal was another effort by the government to provide good services to the rural community. It was also aimed at helping to bridge the digital gap between the rural and urban people, he said. “This portal not only brings the services to your doorstep but it will also increase the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the rural areas. “ICT is an important tool for development and progress in the rural areas,” he said in his speech. The e-Merah system is also put into use to enable the community to access data on local districts. E-Merah is an intranet system for use at local district offices to create profiles of residents and villages within their areas and compile an information database on matters like financial assistance, disaster management, economic activities and planning. Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Rashid Abdullah launched the web portal in Butterworth. Khalid added that the portal also had a list of links to services offered by other government agencies that would be useful for the rural folk, such as e-PBT and e-Tanah. The ‘I Cerve U’ portal can be accessed at www.icerveu.gov.my. Datuk Koay Kar Huah, State Executive Councillor also attended the launching of the website.

Source: Extracts from The Star Newspaper, StarMetro, Saturday, 8 December 2007.