Information, Communication and Culture Minister Rais Yatim today hoped that the staff of the Information Department and the Special Affairs Department (Jasa), RTM and other agencies under the ministry could assist the government in ensuring that Sabah continued to be the ‘fixed deposit’ for the BN.

National news agency Bernama reported him saying this in his speech while simultaneously launching the 1Malaysia Community at the Sabah state level and the Mobile Post, as well as to show appreciation to BN election workers for the Batu Sapi (Sandakan) parliamentary by-election, in Kota Kinabalu today.

He also announced that the ministry will widen the 1Malaysia Community programme, especially to the urban areas where the majority of the population comprises the Chinese community, in an effort to strengthen their understanding of the 1Malaysia concept.

NONE In both respects, Rais ( left ) has asked departments and agencies under his ministry to work as a team to raise understanding and public acceptance for the 1Malaysia concept.

   

“In this regard, each member of the staff of the Information Department and Jasa should understand and accept the concept contained in the 1Malaysia concept,” he said.

   

The new approach, Rais said, was important to ensure the success of the 1Malaysia concept mooted by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

“Currently, we have 1,115 1Malaysia Communities throughout the country including 120 in Sabah, and we will widen the programme to certain areas. We should not only focus on the villages or new villages but should also expand to the towns,” he told reporters after the launch.

Also present were the speaker of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly, Salleh Said Keruak, and the Deputy Information Ministers Joseph Salang and Maglin D’Cruz.

   

According to the plan, the ministry hoped to set up 153 new 1Malaysia Communities nationwide, including eight in Sabah involving 73 Chinese and 35 Indian areas.

   

“We will also create villages or clusters based on communication such as the wireless villages and get the post offices involved,” Rais said.

   

Asked whether the Information, Communication and Culture Ministry was satisfied with the public acceptance for the 1Malaysia concept so far, Rais said although 76 percent of the 15,000 respondents interviewed on the 1Malaysia Concept knew about it, the ministry was still not satisfied and would intensify information programmes through the 1Malaysia Community.