The Issue of Digital Divide in Malaysia: Focus on Inner City Divide in Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur

Abstract

As we enter the Information Age and prepare for transition into the New k-Economy, the national emphasis is increasingly placed on development and usage of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). In the recent budget 2001 announcement, further incentives are given to promote PC (personal computer) ownership and Internet access among citizens of the country (Computimes, Oct 30, 2000). However, in spite of the incentives, not every home or family can financially afford to own a PC and pay the monthly Internet access charges plus all the attendant costs related to PC ownership and Internet access. The common perception about the Digital Divide phenomenon is the disparity in terms of access to ICT between the urban and rural areas. Hence, numerous programmes and projects, such as the Rural Internet Centres, the Gerakan Desa Wawasan and the proposed Desa Digital, were initiated and implemented to bring ICT to the villages or kampungs. However, there are still pockets of inner city areas and groups that are excluded from the digital or Internet revolution. Thus, to mitigate this issue of inner city digital divide, the proposed research aims: a) to produce an Inner City Digital Inclusion Model to be replicated nationwide; b) to provide hands-on experience and training to disadvantaged individuals and groups so as to include them into the new knowledge-driven economy and society; c) to empower inner city communities to participate actively in decision-making processes at the local level via access to ICT.