KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 — With the installation of the Starlink device in Kampung Orang Asli Hulu Kemensah last month, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), through the Selangor MCMC office, has taken proactive steps by providing education and awareness programmes regarding safe internet use to the villagers.

Klik Dengan Bijak (KDB) is one of the initiatives introduced by MCMC to educate and increase public awareness about safety, responsibility and protection when using the internet.

Selangor MCMC Development Section director Muhammad Jaflus Baharudin said the implementation of the initiative was one of the measures taken to ensure an increase in digital literacy, in line with the expansion of access to the internet so that the community is not exposed to online risks.

"Perhaps (previously) residents here did not get such a wider exposure regarding current issues, (types of) fraud or threats that occur from unwise use of the internet.

"So by providing this exposure, we can educate them so that, not only can they use the internet as they please, but they must use discretion when browsing a website,” he said to Bernama when met at the village, recently.

KDB, held on August 24, involved modules such as smart use of the internet, false information, the risk of oversharing and financial fraud, to inform the Orang Asli community, especially children and youth, on the beneficial use of the internet.

Its speaker Siti Na’ilah Kamarudin said the exposure through the initiative also includes the laws related to online offences which, if found guilty, one can be charged in court.

Among the online offences that can be prosecuted are posting ugly or obscene things, offensive content, threatening to disturb others and so on.

"We want them to know that there is a law which can prosecute those who commit these offences.

"As the internet has risks, not everything is beneficial. So, we want to give exposure to the risks and ways to deal with those risks,” she said.

Na’ilah who is also Selangor MCMC deputy director said that based on the feedback, it was found that the students in the village which has a total of 135 residents or 35 families are becoming more creative and fast in getting the necessary information through the internet to help their learning process.

Meanwhile, the Kampung Orang Asli Hulu Kemensah Village Development and Security Committee chairman Jamil Atong said the installation of a Starlink satellite device unit in the village has brought many benefits to the residents, especially in terms of education.

"Before the installation of Starlink in this village, children, when at home, could not do their homework properly and they had to go down to the village junction to access the internet, especially when it rained.

"However, with the installation of Starlink, the children here no longer need to do that as they can now access online at home to do their homework,” he said.

On August 11, Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil, in a Facebook post, said that the village was the first Orang Asli settlement selected for Starlink device installation, thus making it the second location after Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Kuala Pilah branch in Negeri Sembilan.

Kampung Orang Asli Hulu Kemensah residents can now enjoy internet data speeds of over 200 Mbps with a quota of up to 1TB per month. — Bernama