28 Oct 2022
YTM and Istana Negara equips higher risk communities with disaster preparedness
Facilitates the development of localised Emergency Response Plans
Over the years, Yayasan TM (YTM) has been actively involved in disaster emergency response efforts and lent its helping hand to affected communities in various ways. With many tragic losses of life and property due to natural disasters, it is imperative to help the public better understand the importance of preparedness, the risks involved and build capacities for pre-emptive and early action, including identifying vulnerabilities and potential impact on people and assets.
Through its latest initiative, the YTM-Istana Negara Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Programme (CBDRRM), organised in collaboration with Istana Negara, the programme is aimed at empowering communities especially women and children as well as building community resilience during disasters with the necessary knowledge and skills in disaster preparedness - in alignment to the Government's aspiration to nurture a disaster preparedness culture among Malaysians.
For the inaugural edition of the programme, YTM identified three (3) high risk areas in Kuantan, Maran and Bentong districts in Pahang. This is also a continuation from the support to the local communities post-flood early this year where YTM, together with Istana Negara provided basic necessities, workforce and monetary assistance to citizens in Karak, Ulu Tembeling and Kuantan districts.
“This CBDRRM programme is both important and timely, in view of frequent heavy rain and storms of late. We hope that the local communities will fully utilise the skills and knowledge obtained from the initiative, to be better prepared for in the event of any flood incidents in their respective areas, minimising the impact and ultimately, saving lives,” said Izlyn Ramli, Director of YTM.
“We were delighted to find that these modules were very helpful for them based on their feedback. Meanwhile, we remain on the ready to deploy response and humanitarian aid should the need arise,” she added.
The first one was held in August 2022 for the community in Perumahan Awam Kos Rendah (PAKR) Sungai Pandan, Kuantan, which saw a total of 120 participants attending, while the second was held in Maran in September.
With the support of the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) as well as the TM Reaching Out Volunteers (TMROVers), the programme was conducted by 12 humanitarian experts with vast disaster response experience, including risk and reduction management from Red A Humanitarian Global. The modules highlighted the importance of disaster preparedness, hands-on session to develop localised Emergency Response Plans, water safety and practical swimming, as well as simulation exercises. The participants were also briefed on mental health management and creating children-friendly spaces (CFS) as an added element.
For any emergency response plan to work, active participation from the community becomes crucial. During the programme, the communities were also connected to their local government agencies such as the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (BOMBA), Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), Malaysia Civil Defence Force (APM), Jabatan Pengairan & Saliran (JPS) Negeri Pahang for better disaster response in the future.
The third and final session was organised recently in Bentong in collaboration with Istana Negara and attended by 125 participants. Via the three (3) series of CBDRRM in Pahang, YTM have reached a total of 458 community members and local government agencies; inclusively, empowering 123 female participants and 167 children and teenagers.
This initiative is aligned with our aspiration to build capacity in disaster preparedness among community members, especially women and children, who are considered first responders’ priority when a disaster occurs. YTM will continuously support the community for better disaster preparedness and response through community leadership and self-empowerment.
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Nurturing future digital leaders through YTM Future Skills Champion Schools
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With such exposure and capabilities, we are confident that SMK Gunung Semanggol is able to play the role as a hub to spread the digital technology knowledge to more students and teachers including at the five (5) neighbouring schools, and approximately over 20 secondary schools in the Kerian district," said Izlyn Ramli, Director of YTM, during the launching ceremony of TMFS School in November 2022. Throughout this three-year programme, YTM, together with its strategic partner, Creative Minds, will work with Multimedia University (MMU), Yayasan Universiti Multimedia (YUM), TM Perak, and other YTM's partners to design and deliver engaging programmes providing the tools and support for students in rural schools to flourish. "We are also happy to see that SMK Gunung Semanggol promotes the development of other skills, such as urban farming and entrepreneurship, to empower the local communities sustainably. 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At the event, Bakri Arsad, Chief Assistant Director of Mathematics and Science, Learning Sector, Perak State Education Department, said, "We welcome such initiatives through collaboration with the private sector, especially for rural schools that need exposure to digital technology. These programmes will inspire students to explore their potential beyond academics and increase the number of students choosing STEM-related fields." During the launch, guests had the opportunity to visit the Pusat Sumber Sekolah Pendeta Za'aba and experience content and materials created by the students based on specific themes including unique handicrafts and martial arts performances. Guests toured the school's urban farm, where they sampled delicious cuisine prepared by students from the special education class using produce from the farm. SMK Gunung Semanggol provided a wonderful ambience of positive vibes that attract students' engagement and boosted their creativity. 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TM and Huawei collaborate to accelerate 5G commercialisation in Malaysia
Both parties exploring a working mechanism to cover spectrum, business case, ecosystem and key technologies towards empowering Digital Malaysia. Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) and Huawei Technologies (M) Sdn Bhd (Huawei) have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate in accelerating 5G commercialisation in Malaysia as the country moves towards a Digital Nation. The MoU was signed by both companies at TM-Huawei Tech Summit held recently. Ir. Ts Azizi A. Hadi, Chief Network Officer, TM signed the MoU on behalf of TM while Mr. Zac Chow, Vice President Huawei Malaysia, represented Huawei at the signing ceremony. Commenting on the collaboration, Dato' Noor Kamarul Anuar, Group Chief Executive Officer, TM said, "It is an exciting development for us to collaborate with a global player like Huawei to accelerate the offering of 5G services to Malaysians. As a national telecommunications infrastructure provider of Malaysia's Digital Nation aspirations, 5G technology will complement our existing wired-based offerings, world class connectivity as well as digital infrastructure. It will enable us to deliver more innovative digital solutions to all our customers across various segments. TM via its innovative and comprehensive products and solutions will continue to lay the foundation for Industrial Revolution 4.0 and rolling out 5G nationwide - serving a more digital society and lifestyle, digital businesses and industry verticals, as well as digital Government. This collaboration augurs well for the accelerated deployment of future 5G network, applications and solutions for Malaysian homes, businesses and beyond, in line with our aspiration to power Digital Malaysia." Meanwhile, Michael Yuan, Chief Executive Officer of Huawei said: "TM and Huawei have been working hand-in-hand for 15 years. We have been working together to connect more people than ever before. We are now at the crossroads of digital transformation. Huawei will fully support TM's aspiration to power Digital Malaysia, and will work together with TM to building a better connected and intelligent Malaysia via 5G." Under the MoU, both parties intend to explore on collaborating by leveraging on each other's core expertise and capabilities to explore a working mechanism covering spectrum, business case, ecosystem and key technologies. This would include collaborating for a joint study on 5G spectrum and its evolution; possible joint development of new services concepts and business case of selected 5G use cases which include but not limited to Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), Smart Cities and Vehicle-to-Vehicle or Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2X); joint study in the areas of 5G Ecosystem Innovation; and explore future cooperation on full-fledged 5G end-to-end system. Through this collaboration, a joint working group will also be set up to identify areas of copper line services with the aim towards improving customer experience through FWA technology and/or services. "With this collaboration, we further strengthen our role as a national telecommunications infrastructure provider of Malaysia's Digital Nation aspirations, where TM has established the communications backbone of Malaysia with the widest connectivity and convergence network. As a responsible nation-builder, we will continue to serve as a strategic enabler of the National Fiberisation and Connectivity Plan (NFCP), backed by our solid infrastructure towards empowering Digital Malaysia" Dato' Noor Kamarul Anuar concluded.
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