THE Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (KSTI) is creating the first Digital Sandbox in Sabah and East Malaysia. It is working with its agency, Sabah Net Sdn. Bhd and Sabah Economic and Innovation Creative Centre (Scenic) in the effort which would be launched by mid-2022 at the latest.
KSTI Minister, Datuk Yakub Khan (pic), who announced this in his message to the Ministry officials and staff last week, said as the Ministry is responsible for developing technology and innovation in Sabah, this effort was very encouraging for it to work harder to further expand similar programmes to other districts as well as use the National Technology and Innovation Sandbox (NTIS) platform to drive innovation into Sabah.
He said the strategic collaboration with NTIS also allows the Ministry to utilise innovation funds from the Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Mosti).
“Sandbox will be a platform for youths to test new technology ideas that can drive the state’s economy, increase public and private sector productivity and indirectly promote the culture of science, technology and innovation (STI),” he said.
Yakub, who is also Karambunai Assemblyman, also said that the Ministry through scholarships will also sponsor Sabahans to further their studies at institutes of higher learning (IPT) in and outside the country, for human capital development in the state. He said that in 2021, a total of 1,787 students had received sponsorship in various fields and 60 percent were in science and technology.
“In the Government’s effort to help the B40 group to improve their living standards, the Ministry has also provided scholarships to B40 students in rural areas to follow the skills course programme.
“This programme was created to help B40 students in rural areas to get job opportunities in the future after completing the course. A total of 170 students from all districts have been successfully interviewed and placed in skills colleges around Kota Kinabalu,” he said.
This year, he said, the State Government has allocated RM55 million for the Sabah State Government Scholarship (BKNS). He also informed that Scenic which was established in April 2020 has successfully trained about 9,000 people physically and virtually through three main pillars – entrepreneurship based on innovation, technology and innovation as well as creative core.
“A total of RM1.4 million investment has been successfully secured by our talents in Sabah from 2020-2021. Scenic has also collaborated with more than 190 strategic partners from the public, private, community and institutions of higher learning, both locally and abroad,” he said.
Apart from that, he said, Scenic has also successfully obtained Authorised Training Centre status by the world-renowned animation software company Toon Boom Inc. the first in Malaysia.
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