BUKIT MERTAJAM, April 25 2026— Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim today attended the recognition ceremony of Pusat Sebaran Maklumat Nasional (NADI) Kubang Semang here as an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Digital Transformation Centre by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
The event marks NADI Kubang Semang as the 16th centre to join the ITU’s global Digital Transformation Centres network, highlighting Malaysia’s push for inclusive digital inclusion, especially in rural areas.
Concluding his one-day working visit to Penang, Anwar stressed that digital transformation must not widen the urban-rural divide but serve as a bridge for opportunity and social mobility.
“Transformasi digital often sounds grand and captivating, but it risks widening gaps if it remains only in elite urban discourse. NADI brings a different approach: ensuring advances in information technology and artificial intelligence truly reach and benefit rural communities,” he said in a statement posted on X.
He noted that the MADANI government’s agenda ensures digital development expands opportunities for all, aligning with the democratisation of quality education.
“Every child, regardless of background, must have access to quality education, including mastery of digital technology as a basic necessity today,” Anwar added.
Initiatives like NADI are already delivering results, providing previously underserved children with digital learning, skills training, and new economic prospects. MCMC’s e-Tuisyen Rakyat programme, offering free digital supplementary classes at nearly 1,100 NADI centres nationwide, saw over 42,000 Form Five students participate in 2025 alone.
Anwar also cautioned that technological progress must not come at the expense of religious values, morals, and cultural identity.
“Progress without self-identity will only cause us to lose direction,” he warned, hoping the initiative would nurture a digitally literate generation rooted in strong values, ethics, and culture so that advancement benefits everyone, not just a select few.
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, who also spoke at the event, said the recognition — which followed NADI’s win in the Capacity Building category at last year’s World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes — proves community-level efforts can gain global recognition.
To date, 1,099 NADI centres operate nationwide with 1.9 million members. The centres focus on five pillars: entrepreneurship, lifelong learning, personal well-being, awareness, and government initiatives. Membership in the ITU network will provide access to international training modules, including from partners like Cisco Systems, without additional government cost.
Also present were Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, Communications Ministry secretary-general Datuk Abdul Halim Hamzah, and MCMC chairman Tan Sri Mohamad Salim Fateh Din.
The ceremony featured live demonstrations of virtual reality applications and digital learning sessions, showcasing how NADI empowers local communities with practical technology skills.
This development reinforces Malaysia’s commitment to bridging the digital divide under the MADANI framework while ensuring technology serves the rakyat holistically.
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